The Chaos of Reading in the Past
by Heros Legacy
Summary: Percy, Nico, and Thalia get sent to the past to read the Percy Jackson books by a bored Apollo...What could go wrong? Ya right everything is out of whack, the gods seam crazier than normal, Percy has become more mouthy then other, and who let Thalia give dating advice? Fem Percy! Nico x Percy
1. Time travel Freakout!

**A/N: Hey guys I don't know about you but the 'Percy reads the books' are some of my favorite fanfictions…and if I screw this up im sorry. Oh ya and for a heads up I am dyslexic myself so if there is any grammar of spelling mistakes I'm sorry. Oh! And Percy is a girl in this, and people may be OOC.**

**Disclaimer: Hmmmm…..judging from the fact that im female…I guess I don't own this.**

**~PERCY'S P.O.V~**

You know, waking up to falling threw time will jump start your morning. See up until about….10 seconds ago I was tucked into my sweet warm bed, but seeing as I'm a demigod I get to be woken up early. Gosh I hate my life at times.

"Percy?" Came a voice to my left. I sounded frailer but I was still not awake enough to recall who it belonged to.

"Er…that's what my birth certificate says, so ya I'm Percy." I said stifling a yawn. Well tecnicly it said Persephone, but I prefer Percy…

"Nico, Percy, you guys are here too?" Asked a voice to my left, oh….I should have relished my cousin's and maybe the guy I liked voices before….stupid morning.

"Hey Thalia….So does anyone wanna tell me why we're falling threw darkness?" I asked. "Oh look light." I laughed as I notice there was a blinded white light and we were heading straight throws it.

"Percy that's probably a bad thing!" Nico shouted.

"Why are we going to die?" I asked "Because I thought the whole "white light" thing was just something your dad made up." He didn't get a chance to reply before we were already at the white light/

~X~

**~3****rd**** Person P.O.V~**

Olympus was in the middle of the winter solstice…this being one of its _livelier _years, the gods were upset on some matter and the demigods who had come for a visited were wide eye since they just walked into the room, which they in there innocent minds didn't think the gods still fought so much…or at least they wanted to.

"You do know that there are demigods here now right?" Dionysus yawned and flipped the page in his wine magazine. The arguing stopped immediately as all heads turned towards the group of kids. Everything was silent…well till the some other kids fell through the ceiling.

~X~

**~Percy's P.O.V~**

I was beginning to think I had the best luck at the moment. See Thalia and Nico landed before me on a couch, while I was about to miss the couch and land on the hard marble floor, I was caught by the cute son of Hades.

Looking up into Nico's eyes and blushed. "Um…Uh thanks." I said looking away trying to get down.

"No problem." He said finally letting go.

Someone cleared there throat behind us drawling our attention to them. I spun around half expecting a fight, when I saw the gods of Olympus.

"Oh Sh-" the rest of my sentence was drowned out by Uncle Zeus yelling.

"HERMES! APOLLO! WHAT DID YOU DO!"

Apollo and Hermes sunk on there thrown a little. "What makes you think we did anything?" Hermes asked, and I giggled at their reaction.

"You were whispering to each other. That normally means no good for others." A irritated Artemis said glaring at her brothers.

"Oh that? No no we had nothing to do with this." Apollo said gesturing towards us. "That was about how we were going to die Aphrodite's hair-" he stopped as Hermes hit him.

"SHUT UP DUDE!"

"Does this place look different to you guys?" Thalia asked Nico and I.

I tore my eyes away from the entertaining fight. "Huh?" I asked really smartly, as Nico snickered at me. "Oh ya well Annabeth said she was…."I stopped with wide eyes getting what she meant. "Wait! This looked like it did _before_ the war!" I shouted….meanless to say that got everybody's attention.

"What war?" Athena asked narrowing her eyes. "We haven't been at war since 1945 when the secant world war ended."

"Ah that was a good year." Nico said quietly next to me. I smiled. He had told me he had started to regain some of the memories form his childhood (though not quite sure how that happened…maybe it was when he went to see the fates…)

"That wasn't the last war though." I said absently making all gods look at me. "What?" I asked them "What am I in trouble for now?"

"Percy you're always in trouble no matter what." Thalia laughed.

"Gee I feel the love Thalia." I rolled my eyes at her, but I couldn't say she wasn't wrong.

"T-Thalia?" Asked a voice from behind us, I turned around to see a small group of demigods. Weird they all looked like miniature versions of my friends. "You're meant to be a tree h-how?" The one who spoke looked exactly like Annabeth did when she was twelve. Huh…she must be a child of Athena too.

"What year is this?" Thalia asked with a confused look, which is odd she should know the year.

"2009" I said rolling my eyes. "Come on Thals you should know the year, even I can keep that straight."

"Not you Percy." Nico and Thalia yell at me.

"I was asking her." Thalia said gesturing to the Annabeth wanna be.

"It's the winter solstice of 2004." The kid said.Hmmm…2004 I think this girl is a moron.

I walked up to the kid put my hand on her shoulders and said very seriously "Its ok I'm sure we can get you into some special class."

"Did you just call my daughter dumb?" Athena asked angrily.

"No no I just think we should get her some extra help is all. I mean she should know the date by now." I said walking back to my friends.

"What do you mean? She got the date right." Athena said.

"But that would mean we either came back in time or I have learn the date wrong." I said as I began to run around in circles. "Ah why did someone not tell me I have been ahead all these years? If I can't get the year right how do I know I got the day and mounts right?" The room was filled with laughter as I was freaking out.

Then someone grabbed me from behind and sat me on the couch. "Sit, stay, be calm for once in your life." Nico said squatting in fount of me. "Obviously we went back in time." He said with a sigh.

Everything was quiet in the throne room after that, the only sound came from the crackling of the hearth. Then came the box that just had to land on my head. "OW!" I said breaking the silence.

"Oh what's in the box?" Hermes asked excitedly.

"Really? I get hit on the head and you don't care? I feel the love cous." I growled at Hermes before looking into the box. I grimaced at the context of it before dumping it over, five thick different color books and a book came tumbling onto the floor. "I hate books."

"How can you hate books!" Athena and well I guess the real Annabeth asked.

"Never mind that." Zeus said. "What does the note say?"

Thalia picked up the note and began reading.

"_Dear People of Olympus and year 2004! Oh and you too demigods from 2009._

_I have brought you here out of boredom with the help of my awesome brother Hermes! So I've decided you all will be reading the __Percy Jackson and Olympians series.__ Well have fun don't kill anyone guys!_

_W_ith Awesomeness Apollo and with sneakiness Hermes" she said rolling her eyes at the end of it.

"See it was your fault!"Artemis yelled.

"Since it seam were stuck till were finished with the books let's just have the campers and future campers introduce themselves." Hera said.

"Right Right." Chiron nodded. I did a double look because I didn't even relies he was here. "Let's start with the ones from our time then the Future Demigods can go." With a nod to the campers he waited for them to go.

A tall blond guy stood in front of the gods bowed then said "I am Luke Castellanson of Hermes." He said his father's name with a grimace.

I let out a small gasp that only Thalia and Nico heard. The both sent me a sad glance knowing his fate as well as I.

The next person who fallowed was my stringy hair bully. "Im Clarisse La Rue, daughter of the great Ares." She said and looked around for some to fight.

Then came a boy stepped forwarded with a ghastly smirk. "Hey I'm Travis Stoll son of Her-" The poor kid never finished his introduction since another boy tackled him. "Hey! I'm Travis! Conner doesn't take my name!" he yelled.

I rolled my eyes at the two. "There at it again."

"Aren't they always?" Nico chuckled.

"Knock it off you too." Annabeth yelled stepping forwarded. "I am Annabeth Chase Daughter of Athena." She said then smiled at her mother.

Nico, Thalia, and I all looked at each other. The younger demigods had all went and it was time for us to introduce our selves. Something we all weren't keened on doing. "Well Nico." Thalia and I grinned. "You're the gentlemen, as well as oldest why don't you go?"

"Hey! I'm only the oldest one technically." Nico said as Thalia pushed him forward. "Fine fine." He sighed He bowed to Zeus "Hello Lord Zeus, I am Nicodemus Di Angalo, son of Hades." He said with a charming smile trying not to get killed.

"Hades you bro-" Zeus started to yell.

"Nico is over seventy years old, making him born before the pact. I did not break the pact." Hades said putting her hand up not wanting to get into this fight.

"Since any more introductions will just lead to more arguing let's just start reading." Thalia said and picked up the first book. "I'm reading so no more squabbling."


	2. Anger Management, Ya right!

**Okay so no clue on if I did the first chapter right or but I'm just going to keep going with it….here goes Flame me if you want! And thanks to those who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own.**

* * *

**Percy's P.O.V~**

The gods weren't happy, but they settled down anyways. Nico with his face still a little red from his introduction that almost turned in to a cat fight, came and sat between Thalia and I on the couch we clamed as ours. Thalia took one look around as if to say "first one to speak gets their butts fried." And began.  
"Chapter one **I accidentally vaporized my Pre-Algebra teacher**"

"Percy didn't Chiron ever tell you it's not nice to harm mortals?" Nico asked me with a chuckle.

I smiled innocently and stated. "Who said the fleabag was mortal?"

"Woo-hoo!" Ares shouted throwing his hands up like a football fan would when there favorit team just scored a touchdown. "Does that mean she a monster?" he asked.

I shrugged not wanting to answer.

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood…at that time anyways.**

"Really you want to be a demigod?" Connor asked me with wide eyes.

"You have to be clinically insane to want that." Clarisse shook her head at me.

In the corner of my eye I could see the god's sad expressions. "There are times I do wish I wasn't, but I know being a demigod allows me to have more fun than most kids, and I actually get to help people. The positives of this job outweigh the negatives." I said smiling. "But your right Clarisse I am mental."

"Really? What gave you that idea Percy?" Thalia asked laughing. "Was it the time you went to your own funeral? Or the fact you have a hell hound as a pet?"

I crossed my arms a pouted. My friends were always mean to me. "Hey don't mock Mrs. O'Leary."

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one,**

"Why would a mortal be reading this book?" Aphrodite asked looking confused at me.

"Why would I know?" I asked

"Aren't they your books?" Hephaestus asked fiddling with some trinkets.

"Er…..ya…but that doesn't mean much." I said hesitantly. "I didn't even know about the books till today."

**my advice is: **

"RUN FOR YOR LIVES!" Nico and Thalia yelled.

"Is she that bad at giving advice?" Athena asked curiously.

"She told a ten year old that the easiest way to deal with a _pompous_ god was just to fight them and show them your better." Nico answered.

"Hey it always works for me though!" I protested. I still think that advice was some of my best given

No one spoke for a while; everyone just kinda looked at me strange. I'm use to strange looks though.

**close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

"That's a good way to get them killed you know dear." Hera said shaking her head. I was a little shocked that she was being so…nice!

"Good to know…" I smiled think of people I wanted to die…

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways. It keeps my life full of surprises and excitement. Just how I like it.**

"Percy, how on earth do you not like a peaceful life?" Luke asked. I had almost forgotten he was here…

"Never had one, so why start now?" I shrugged seeing _almost _nothing wrong with my life.

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I don't envy you for being not believing that none of this ever happened. It's a shame really. But if you recognize yourself **

"Gosh I hope there isn't another person like Percy." Nico said looking a little pale...or paler than normal. "The world can only take one."

**in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading immediately. You might be one of us.**

"That doesn't sound creepy at all." Apollo laughs.

"No no, we sound more like a cult or something you know UN-creepy." Hermes added. I swear those two acted more like twins then Apollo and Artemis.

**And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you. Don't say I didn't warn you. **

"Please if your advice is bad what makes you think your warnings are any better Perc?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow

**My name is Persephone**

"You know you dot act much like my wife though." Hades said. By the way he was looking at me I knew he was still trying to figure out who I was the child of…and I think he realized I was a child of the bid three.

"They have the same obsession with gardening and flowers though." Nico muttered. "Percy's always in the underworld helping out in mom's garden with her." That got some quizzical looks thrown my way.

**Jackson,**

I looked over to see my dad's reaction to my last name wondering if he realized I was his kid, if he really loved my mom you would think he would remember her last name.

He did.

Judging from the fact he was wide-eyed and pale, id say he remembered. "Good." I said silently with a smile.

Nico must have heard it and got what I meant because he took my hand and gave it a little squeeze, making my hart flutter. He knew family meant a lot to me and I never really knew if my dad really felt anything towards my mother and I.

**but if you call me that I will maim you, I go by Percy.**

"Hey let's try it out." Travis grinned.

"Ya, lets." His brother agreed.

"Hey Persephone!" They called. Before they knew it a pure black dagger was thrown across the room. The two were sitting close enough together that when it went right in between them both of their cheeks got cut, the dagger ended up stuck in a wall at the end of its journey.

"Told you not to call me that." I smiled innocently.

"And I," Nico said in a unhappy voice, as he got up. "told you not to take my weapons'." He said retrieving his dagger.

"Then don't put them where I could take them." I grinned.

**I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

"That sound like the perfect place for you Ares." Hephaestus said. Obviously he still holds a grudge on Ares for taking his wife. "Everyone knows you're just a big baby who likes to throw temper tantrums."

I laughed at that. "I couldn't have said it better myself Hephaestus." Everyone looked at me in shock that I'd just say that about a god, and Ares looked ready to kill. If it wasn't of Aphrodite Id probable would have been fighting him right now.

**Am I a troubled kid?**

"Yes." Nearly everyone said.

"Good you already know."

**Yeah. You could defiantly say that.**

"Why would you agree with that?" Athena said. "It makes no sense."

"But why deny the truth though?" I asked her. She shut up so I assume I made did make sense.

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"Technically there is twenty-six mental-case kids, one insane demigod, a sayter, and two poser teachers." I corrected. "What?" I asked when everyone looked at me.

"You're talking to a book." Nico said

"I won't be worried till it starts talking back though." I shrugged.

**I know—it sounds like torture. **

"Really? It sounds fun!" Annabeth said her eyes sparkling at the thought of going there.

"I agree, that is certainly not torture." Athena said.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Thalia hit me with the book "Try to make it through the day still alive seaweed brain." She said then continued to read.

**Most Yancy field trips were. But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

"Wow, Mr. Brunner should feel honored. Most of the time she just tries to piss them off or blow them up." Nico smirked.

"I don't know, Chiron did or is it do…anyways do you feel honored?" I asked

Chiron looked at me like a deer in the headlights. "Well you were a little more…challenging, but uh you were a good student."

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee. You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep…witch is saying something.**

"Someone call Guinness book of world records! This is monumental!" Thalia called.

"Hey!" I said.

"You can't even stay awake in your stepdads class." Nico pointed out. I growled and glared at the two.

"Does she always act like this?" My dad asked.

"When she isn't in a bad mood." Nico said ruffling my hair like a kid.

**I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

I snorted. I attract more monsters then both Thalia and Nico talking on cell phones 24/7.

**Boy, was I wrong.**

"That day started it all." I muttered.

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips.**

"How bad could they be?" Zeus asked.

**Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway. **

"What were you aiming at?" Hermes asked laughing.

I smiled widely at that memory. "This girl that kept being mean to me. I told her not to mess with me."

There was silence around the room.

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool,**

"That doesn't even start off good." Demeter said. Wow…that was the first time she talked…I just hope she doesn't force feed me cereal again.

**I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim. And the time before that... Well, they get worse and I think it best to leave those things unsaid.**

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac girl, **

Hermes got some looks shot his way. "Nope she isn't mine."

**hitting my best friend Grover**

"Isn't that the sayter that got my daughter killed?" Zeus asked his expression darkening.

"Obviously I'm alive I'm alive dad." Thalia said rolling her eyes. "And he didn't get me killed."

**in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich. Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled. **

"You know were telling him you said that right?" Thalia asked me with a raised eyebrow.

**He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life (witch I'd love to have)**

"I'm so with you." Aphrodite said to me. "I hate getting all sweaty and gross."

**because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

"How did I not realize he was a sayter when he went to my school?" Nico asked shocked. "I mean honestly? I even caught him playing his reed pipes one time."

"You're as dumb as-," Thalia started before I butted in.

"Say my name and I will dye you pink." I threatened.

"Fine, you're as dumb as Drew." Thalia said changing.

"There you go." I nodded my head approvingly as Nico growled at us.

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death**

"WHAT!" Poseidon yelled. "He threatened you? Why that-,"

"Why do _you_ care?" Hades asked him. DING! DING! DING! And I think he just relised who my father was…wow did not see him figuring it out before Athena….

"I-I don't." Poseidon covered…or tried to anyways.

**by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

"Oh." Poseidon said relieved.

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

"Have you ever thought of anger manigment class?" Luke asked me.

I glared at him "You need them more then I do Mr. Kr-," Nico slapped his hand over my mouth.

"That's not the thing to say right now." He whispered into my ear. I nodded my head signaling I understood.

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

"In his hair?" Aphrodite said green with discuses.

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

"At lest he can dodge." Conner said.

**"That's it." I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

"GO PERCY GO!" Ares cheered.

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

"Lucky me." I muttered. I got kicked out of that school anyways.

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there. In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour.**

**He rode up front in his wheelchair,**

"I've always wanted to steel that and take it on a joy ride." Travis grinned.

"Oh it's fun to drive, and it goes faster than you would think." I smirked.

"How would you know?" Travis asked.

"Let's just say there was a wild night of truth or dare."

**guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.**

**It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"They are much older than that." Athena told me

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column**

"How did they get it in the building?" Conner asked. "It's like huge!"

"Magic Conner Magic." I giggled

**with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, a stele, for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

"So that's why you always call her that…" Nico said to me knowing instantly who she was.

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**

"What did you do?" Thalia asked me.

"Noooothing" I smiled

"BS!" Nico shouted.

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn. **

"No I'm the devils spawn, you can't take my title away from me, it isn't nice." Nico pouted.

"Ok Nico that title is all yours."

**She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.**

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight,**

"Now that is torture." Athena said.

**I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

"He's way to into it." Dionysus said from his throne.

"WOW! Your actually listening!" I said shocked.

"No I am not Paige."

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and said, "Will you shut up?" It came out louder than I meant it to…It always does.**

"Only if you're the one saying it." Nico Thalia laughed

**The whole group laughed. Stupid jerks. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Ms. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

"Yes I do, Why do girls have to be so well…difficult to deal with?" I asked at that point every girl glared at me.

"You should have been born a guy." Thalia laughed

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

"You look cute when you blush." Nico whispered. I looked at him with wide eyes as my face got hot. He chuckled seeing my reaction.

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?" I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. "And he did this because ..."**

"He is a crazy sadistic lunatic bent on destroying the world." I laughed

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god, and—"**

I could see Zeus's face getting red at my mistake.

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

**"Titan," I corrected myself. "And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

"Oh that was a pleasant time." Hades rolled his eyes.

"Sure let's call it that." Demeter laughed.

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me. "—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

"Really you summed up a ten year war to ten seconds?" Athena asked astonished.

"I know, it takes skills." I shrugged. "You know, I never realized you and Annabeth had as much in common as you do."

"Thanks!" Annabeth smiled thinking it was a compliment

**Some snickers from the group.**

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

"Actually it is quite useful." Thalia mussed. "Especially for the demigod of this time."

**"And why, Ms. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

"And that was a feet all on its own." I laughed.

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"**No Percy, its horse ears. Get it right or don't even think it." Thalia teased**

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

"Do you _ever_ know?" Annabeth asked me, which I thought was a little mean.

"Yes, maybe…it more or less depends." I answered.

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Ms. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

"Chiron that is not happy." Aphrodite sighed. "You have to come to me for cheerfull lesions, along with Hades."

"I've told you a million times! I'm not going I'm perfectly fine how I am!" Hades yelled throwing his arms up in frustration.

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

"When aren't they doofuses?" Artemis asked. "I mean there from the same sex as Apollo and Hermes."

"I think that's where the problem started" I muttered.

"HEY!" The guys all called in protest.

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Ms. Jackson.**

**I knew that was coming.**

**I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

"Since when were you respectful?" Nico asked with eyebrow raised.

"Since before I went to camp and had to deal with out nut job of a family."

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"Almost everything but not quite." Chiron laughed

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

"Was Yoda based on Chiron?" I asked. "Because seriously they act the same."

To my surprised Athena nodded her head. "Yes Alan Dean Foster, was my son and based Yoda after his own mentored."

**"About the Titans?" "About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

"Smart reply there Perc." Nico laughed

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

"I feel bad for your Chiron." Thalia said in a pitting tone. "Percy doesn't have a lot to offer." I leaned over Nico and hit Thalia for that one. Seriously? Do my cousins have no confident in me?

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard. I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armor and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever lived, and their mother, and what god they worshipped. But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life.**

"That is a disgrace! How can you live with yourself knowing you made that kind of grade?" Athena asked in shock.

"Really easy, I just keep breathin and don't bother with it." I shrugged. I know I should be a little more worried about my school work, but iv had more important things to deal with.

**No—he didn't expect me to be as good; he expected me to be better. And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

"I was, she was a child of Hermes, she was a very good fighter, Always wanted to do more for the mortals." Chiron said looking sad.

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch. **

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue.**

"Ah I love watching the foot traffic on my brakes." Hermes mused.

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York state had been weird since Christmas. We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

"I'm surprised you noticed the weather." Athena said. "It seems Poseidon and my father are fighting again."

**Nobody else seemed to notice.**

"Not many people do dear." Hera smiled.

**Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers.**

"Idiots." Artemis said rolling her eyes.

**Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

"Do you really want her to?" Nico asked. "I don't think even Nemesis would want _Mrs. Dodds_ hand out punishment to _living_ children.

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from that school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

"Nonsense, Percy, You fit in at camp." Thalia smiled then winkled her nose. "Sorta anyways."

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius." **

"That's obvious to everyone here, most of who just met you." Annabeth laughed. That girl can be very catty at times.

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

"Ah, and I do believe we have found our next Plato!" Apollo laughed

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it.**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me. **

"That's nice that you're so close to her." Luke said giving me a sad jealous smile. I have personally met Luke's mom, and I could understand why he was jealous considering she is just plane mad. I nod politely at him and we continued.

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

"Seriously how did you get that chair?" Travis asked me. "He keeps it locked away when he doesn't use it."

"He only does that so you won't take it." Clarisse growled.

"Travis I got to it because I am just plane awesome and you cannot compete." I laughed

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing**

"HOW CAN SOMEONE GET TIRED OF SEALING?" The Stolls shout at the same time.

"Because they aren't you." Nico said shaking his head.

**from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

"Is she trying to get you to murder her?" Thalia asked. "Everyone should know not to mess with your friends."

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

"Well…isn't that _attractive_?" Aphrodite asked no one inparticular.

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

Hades eyes widen and look straight at me. If he had any doubts who I was before, there was none now. He opened his mouth to start yelling, but stopped when Nico casually put his arm around me (A action that Aphrodite did not miss) and glared at his father as if saying "I'll never forgive you if you tell before its time to."

I felt my face grow red again. I'm pretty sure Nico doesn't have any real feelings for me (unlike me for him.) but it was nice and to know he cared...

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

"Nice move." Hermes laughed.

"Ya she so had it coming." Apollo agreed.

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

A "Uh-oh." Came from Annabeth knowing this meant trouble.

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

At that I saw Athena's start swirling and the gears began to turn in her head.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

"Are you ever out of trouble?" Nico asked me.

"Not normally. Trouble seams to thinks I'm his best friend."

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey—" "I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

"That's not going to make it any better Percy." Hermes said.

"If anything you have made it worse." All three sons said.

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

"No drachmas Sherlock." Nico said rolling his eyes.

"Nico I need to teach you how to sware." Thalia laughed.

"Oh I know how to sware." Nico smiled "But last time I did it in fount of my father I got in so much trouble I was grounded for a month."

"You also failed Greek Mythology." I added witch got the whole room laughing.

"Hey it was your fault you always made me skip class!" He argued

"You always had the choice to stay Nico." I smiled "I figured that since we lived in the world of mythology you wouldn't need to study it in school."

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

"STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!" The stoles yell. "Percy did you mom ever teach you not to go with strange people?"

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. I pushed her."**

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death.**

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

"**Scaryed goat." Clarisse growled**

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—will—stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

"At lest he tried." I sighed

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "Now."**

"I think im scared of that word now." Thalia said with a shiver.

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare. **

"Why did you just stare at them?" Annabeth asked. "Wouldn't a glare be more effective?"

"No, Mortals would die of fright from my glare. So I have to use my stare instead…which is still scary." I informed her.

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

"That wasn't creepy at all." Nico said rolling his eyes. "Really that shouldn't have been a big clue on "Get the Hades away from that woman before some bad stuff goes down.""

"Na, I'm too blind for that." I grinned.

**How'd she get there so fast? I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

"Sure lets blame it on that." Thalia laughs

**I wasn't so sure.**

"At lest you weren't positive." Athena sighed already pinning me as a lost cause.

**I went after Mrs. Dodds. Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

"You know you did a wonderful job with helping me?" I asked Chiron who looked sorry.

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. Now that was getting on my nerves. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.**

"Seriously? And you still fallowed her?" Nico asked.

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

Everyone rolled their eyes at that.

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

"Must have felt like home to her." I mused

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

"That is a bad sign." Poseidon said nervously.

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

"She _was_ growling." Annabeth said.

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

"That's unnormal?" Thalia and Nico asked

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

"Sure be polite to monsters and not to gods, you make a lot of sense Percy." Thalia laughed

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"**

"Get away whit what?" Apollo asked

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

"Oh like Nico looks when you wake him up at four in the morning." I said with a grin.

"Why were you up that early?" Aphrodite asked curiously.

"Couldn't sleep so I decided Nico should help me prank every single cabin." I think she thought we were going to do something else since she looked a little said at my answer.

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

"Ya right, keep dreaming Percy." Luke laughed

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

"Wow Zeus wasn't happy." Hermes chuckled nervously. "Who at You or Mrs. Dodds?"

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

"Really? I think I would have suffer the same about if I would have told even if I didn't." I said.

"You know you're talking to a book now?" Thalia asked facepalming.

**I didn't know what she was talking about. All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room. Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on Tom Sawyer from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade.**

"Yes that's so what she referring to." Annabeth said**.**

**Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

"They should." Athena grumbled.

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

"But she didn't give me enough time!" I shout

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

"A Furry!" Poseidon yelled angrily. "Why the Tartarus was that sent after her?"

**Then things got even stranger, to be honest I wasn't even sure that was possible.**

"It always is when your around." Nico laughed.

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

"How useful is a pen?" Conner asked

"Oh its deadly useful." I said as Nico, Thalia, and I start to laugh.

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

"I never got what "What ho" meant." I said.

"What ho! Was an informal greeting commonly used by Bertie Wooster, equivalent to Hi there." Athena told me with a sigh.

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me. **

Nico pull me closer as if trying to protect me. I grinned inwardly at that.

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day. **

"COOL!" The Stolls called out.

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

"No that's how they always look." Nic informed

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

"Wimp." Ares mutter. Oh ya a wimp could defeat Kronus and your sorry butt.

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

"That's not disturbing at all." Hermes said gulping.

**And she flew straight at me. Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword.**

"Swing a sword comes naturally to you?" Hephaestus asked me with eye brows raised in disbilfe.

I shrugged.

**The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. Hisss! Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. **

"You have an odd way of explaining things." Athena noted.

**She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

**I was alone.**

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

"I would have been straight up confused." Luke admitted.

"Ya so was I."

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms **

"You know those don't exist right?" Annabeth said rolling her eyes at me. I didn't remember her being this snippy when we were twelve.

"Actually they do." Hermes said with a deadly grin. "I created them when I needed them for a prank." Annabeth looked red and anger for being wrong.

"And trust me you do not want to eat them." I added with a grimace. "They leave you with a feeling worse than id imagine a hangover would be."

"Yes that's kind of how there design, How did you come by one?" Hermes asked me.

"That truth or dare game we told you about."

**or something.**

**Had I imagined the whole thing? **

"Yes, yes you did." Thalia said sarcastically.

**I went back outside. It had started to rain.**

"Why do you pay attention so much to the weather?" Demeter asked me.

"Well its easier than paying attention to the problems I have to deal with…if only for a second."

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

"Who?" Athena, Hermes, and Apollo asked. Weren't they talkative today.

**I said, "Who?"**

"Hey at least I'm not the only one who didn't know." I said a little relive.

**"Our teacher. Duh!"**

"I thought your teachers were that kindly one and Mr. Brunner." Conner said confused.

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about. She just rolled her eyes and turned away. I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was. He said, "Who?"**

"Gosh, that nature freak can't lie to save anyone's butt." Thalia said shaking her head.

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

"Ya sounds it." Apollo laughed. "Even I, the god of truths can lie better."

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

"No Percy, Serious is in a book." Nico laughed. "As much as you wish it, Serious Black isn't real." I hated when he mocks my Harry Potter obsession.

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

"Who are you mad at dear?" Hera asked lacing her fingers threw her husband's.

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved. I went over to him. He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Ms. Jackson."**

"No it's my pen." I said as my hand went to my pocket to make sure he didn't try to take my precious.

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it. "Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

"In Tartarus." Luke answered.

"Talking to a book dude." Travis said hitting his brother upside the head.

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher." **

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"No everyone was making my head hurt." I pouted.

"Im sorry how old are you?" Annabeth asked me. "You act like a five year old."

"I just turned sixteen two days ago." I answered sticking my tong out at her. I was probably making her statement seam true….ok it is true, but I didn't care.

"Really…you're sixteen huh?" Hades said interested. "Did anything interesting happen on that day?" he asked.

"Ya." I nodded. "It was a riot." I smirked and got up and stretch. "That was the longest chapter ever, I don't think I can take anymore sitting."

"Too bad sit down." Thalia and Nico yelled.

"Some of us want to get this book done so we can get back home." Thalia said pulling me down.

"Fine, but I have one question." I said looking at the gods. "Any change we can get change from our pajamas?" I looked to my friends; Thalia was in black track paints and a white and black striped tang-top, while Nico was in embarrassing…or funny depending how you look at it, black pajama pants that had the White Rabbit from Disney's cartoon vision of Alice in Wonderland. "Really Alice in Wonderland?" I asked him. His face got red as people started to laugh.

"It's better than a girly pink nightgown." He said referring to my sleepwear of choice.

"Well I wouldn't have to wear this if I hadn't needed to barrow some of the Apherdity girls cloths till my mom sent me some new ones, since you and the Stoll's hadn't set my trunk on fire burning the cloths inside now would I?" I growled.

"Hey blame Thalia, she the one that gave us the matches." Nico said trying to defend himself.

"Ok that's enough!" Zeus said trying to compose himself after the laughing fit he just had. "Aphrodite, please give them new cloths."

"Aww but the lovers spat was so cute!" Aphrodite complained.

"Were not lovers!" I yelled at her rolling her eyes.

"Hmmmm….for now." She said cryptically making me gulp. "Fine, fine I'll give them new cloths." She said when Zeus glared at her. And with a snap (literally) of her fingers, we were sounded in a pink light. When it died down I noticed we were (luckily) dressed in cloths that fit our style.

Nico in black skinny jeans, black vans, and leather jacket thrown over a dark gray tee shirt, for once his hair actually looked like he didn't just roll out of bed…to be honest I didn't like that. While Thalia seemed happy in her new combat boots and ripped jeans and "I'm allergic to stupid, so I break out in sarcasm" t-shirt bit her huntress tiara was missing, that was not going to go over well when she found out… Lucky me I was just in a simple green v-neck shirt and short-ish jean shorts and converse…now my long curly black hair was down witch I hate, but that was easily fixed with a hair tie.

"WHERE DID YOU PUT MY TIARA!" Thalia yelled

"Oh hun, those things are so out of style." Aphrodite smiled. "I'm doing you a favor by getting rid of it, the boys will be more drawn to you without it."

"I don't want any boys being drawn." She yelled. "Give it back."

"Well I already destroyed it." Aphrodite smiled.

"That was over three thousand years old! If Artemis doesn't hurt you I will!" Thalia yelled, at witched point Nico and I dragged her out.

* * *

**A/N: Ok so that's the first chapter, what did you think? Honestly I'm not sure I'm any good at this but oh well. Review or flam if you want!**

**Love and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy.**


	3. Scissors for thought?

**A/N: Hey thanks to all the reviews they always make me happy! No matter how mean or anything. I normally like to get back to my reviews just for a heads up.**

***IMPORTANT INFO!* Ok so I meant to put this in the chapter before I made Nico's full name Nicodemus if anyone had noticed, simply because both Percy and Thalia have Greek name and though Nico is of Greek and Italian origin I felt that Nicodemus had always seem fitting for him as a full name for him. Nicodemus means "Victory of the people." So if you don't like it, I'm sorry. Oh! And he is the same age as Percy…how he got older will be in the story.**

**Second I changed quite a lot in this chapter and I did that for a reason. So make sure to pay attention!**

**Disclaimer: Nope I'm not a genius, so I did not come up with this idea, so I do not own.**

* * *

**~Nico's P.O.V~**

After Percy and I got Thalia to calm down some we went back. Aphrodite had a good sense to give Thalia back the huntress tiara, seems she didn't actually destroy it.

"Sorry I didn't know it was that important." Aphrodite apologized.

Thalia glared at her sister as she took it back. "That is the symbol for my first lieutenant." Artemis said to her.

"Yes it is." Thalia grinned. "But I think you will figure out how I came to be later on in the books, so let's just begin. Who wants to read?"

"I will." Percy said taking the book from where it was thrown before.

"**Chapter two, Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death." Percy read.**

My eyes widen "Don't tell me there the…" I stopped because she gave me a knowing smile and nodded.

I began to freak-out, I mean I had meet the Fates once before, when I went to ask for my memories back (there the only ones that could give it back.) and to age me a few years so I could be or look the same age as Percy…so maybe when I actually got the courage to ask her out it wouldn't be weird... Anyways the Fates were scary, and I have lived in the Underworld for the last few years. I didn't say anything but I was not happy she meet them.

**I was used to the occasional weird experience,**

"Occasional?" I asked with a Smirk she didn't have Occasional weird experience, she had 24/7 weird experiences.

**but usually they were over quickly. This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.**

Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.

"Uh Percy," Thalia started. "You are a Psycho."

"HEY!" Percy said trying to defend herself. "Well…you know you actually might be right."

**It got so I almost believed them**

"NO!" Conner shouted. "Don't give into the dark side."

"But the dark side has cookies and awesome capes!" Percy said stating her absurd reason for joining the dark side; it made most everyone laugh too.

—**Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

"Is that why I see her torturing my soul's everyday on my morning walks?" My father asked with a smirk. I knew I would have to talk to him soon, I could tell he wasn't happy with who Percy's dad was, and no doubt he would want to know why I'm so protective over her.

**Almost. But Grover couldn't fool me.**

"That goat can't fool anyone." Apollo laughed. "Well except Nico that is."

"Let me just put on record that I was ten at the time." I shouted unhappy at his statement.

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

"I would be very worried about you if you couldn't tell he was lying." Athena said to Percy. I kinda felt sorry for Percy, she was always made out to be dumb and stuff when she wasn't. I have to admit it shocked me when I actually heard her speak in a debate… She won the whole thing and no one could argue agents her…She was actually smart when she wanted to be…

**Something was going on. Something had happened at the museum.**

"Really? Wouldn't have known that." Thalia laughed. "It's not obvious at all really.

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

"Aww poor little baby." Clarisse laughed. "Do you need a bottle and your blankey to go back to sleepyby?"

"No, I like green tea and honey." Percy smiled.

Thalia shivered next to me. "That word is now ruined…I can't hear that word without picturing the Kindly one lunging at me." I laughed at that.

**The freak weather continued,**

"That is odd." Athena mused to herself.

**which didn't help my mood. **

"I think we should move away…" Thalia whispered to me.

"Ya her in a mood…gosh that just screams ACIDENT COMING!" I laughed

**One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room.**

"You really pissed my dad off huh Perc?" Thalia asked leaning back more on the couch streatching.

"Well…it wasn't my fault." Percy shrugged.

"Oh?" Athena said raising an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"I was falsely accused." She answered.

**A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

"That is bad weather." Apollo said surprised.

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time.**

"You're always like that!" Thalia yelled.

"No…just when I'm upset." Percy said sheepishly.

**My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

"You know it isn't very good to have D's and F's, I mean colleges do like that." Annabeth said. "I might be able to help tutor you, but grades are very important."

I laughed at that. "Annabeth, you do tutor her."

"I can proudly say I now average a C+!" Percy smiled. "Oh and a 100 in Latin." I shook my head, only she would find those grades good.

"Well…it's an improvement…" Annabeth said not knowing what to make of Percy.

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

"I approve of this girl!" Ares said clapping. "Fighting is very good."

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.**

"That's such a good meathead, calling someone a name that only sounds good. How do you know you weren't calling him a wonderful role model of something?" Luke asked.

"Because I heard my mother call my step father it when he wasn't listening." Percy grinned.

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

"I saw that one coming though." Percy muttered beside me.

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

"It's always good to return home." Hera smiled at her.

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side,**

"I've always envied your relationship with your mom." I whispered to her. Mrs. Sally was always nice to everyone. Percy smiled at me.

**even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"What kind of person does that in front of a chilled?" Poseidon growled. "Teaching them to gamble isn't a good thing."

"It's ok D-Lord Poseidon." Percy grinned. "I never lose a bet." She was right about that, when we would play blackjack at camp she would clean everyone out, even the Hermes cabin who all cheated.

"That's exactly what I meant!" he shouted.

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods out my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees.**

"That's sweet." Aphrodite smiled.

"No she sounds like a sissy." Clarisse snorted.

**I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend, even if he was a little strange. I worried how he'd survive next year without me.**

"It would probably be easier since you're so difficult to deal with." Thalia said

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well. As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for. I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him. That's when I pretty much knew **_**I was**_** in fact **_**Psycho**_**.**

"SEE!" Thalia yelled. "You just agreed with me!"

"So I did…hmmm…Well savor this once time because it will most likely never happen again." Percy smirked.

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology across my dorm room. **

"That won't help anything." Annabeth told her. "It's better to just get up and go take a walk and get some excursive when you get frustrated."

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards.**

"I hate when they do that!" The Stoll brothers yelled, but I couldn't disagree with them.

**There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon, **

"Tell me you know the difference now." I asked.

"Naturally, unlike you I know my History, and don't fail at it." Gosh was she ever going to let that down?

**or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.**

"Those aren't that hard." Annabeth muttered.

"They aren't anymore since you drilled them into my head." Percy said with a grimace.

**I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.**

Percy made a face at that. "I hate ants." She said.

"Why? There harmless." Hephaestus asked.

"I had to go into a Myrmekes ant hill to save a son of yours with the bronze dragon." Percy answered.

"That makes sense." Hephaestus said nodding. "And thank you for helping him."

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.**

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

"**Good." Athena smiled.**

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. **

"Ever thought that's where the problem of your bad grades started?" Athena asked

"Probably." Percy shrugged.

**Not that most would have helped anyways. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

"Percy!" Thalia gasped in shock. "That possibly couldn't be you! You are too… I'm not even sure how to explain it but that's not you!"  
**  
I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but 's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor. I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said "... worried about Percy, sir."**

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper**

"Really?" Thalia and I asked her. "You happen to be the best eavesdropper in camp." I finished.

"Well camp corrupted me." She laughed.

**(so maybe that statement isn't exactly true),**

"That's better." Thalia nodded.

**but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.**

"That is so true!" Luke shouted. "You can never turn away from that."

**I inched closer.**

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too—"**

"Awww he cared if I lived." Percy mused

"He is one of your best friends, why wouldn't he be worried?" Annabeth asked.

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing her," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the girl to mature more." "But she may not have time. The summer solstice deadline— "**

"What is the summer solstice dead line?" Hermes asked curiously. No one answered him. That's when I relished that this was the winter solstice Luke took the bolt from Zeus.

"Guys…we can't leave Luke alone." I whispered to Percy and Thalia. The both nodded getting what I meant.

"But what if it messes up time?" Percy asked. At that I had no clue…

**"Will have to be resolved without her, Grover. Let her enjoy her ignorance while she still can."**

"She still has that ignorance!" I shout, I found it cute when she acted clueless.

**"Sir, she saw her... ."  
**

"Obviously it doesn't mean she well believe it." Athena laughed.

**"Her imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince her of that."  
**

"If only it hadn't been for Grover." Annabeth shook her head.

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again."**

"He didn't fail!" Thalia, Annabeth, and Luke said together.

**Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."**

"**You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"That was not the right time to be clumsy." I told Percy.

"Ya I know, but it could be worse." She smiled.

**Mr. Brunner went silent. My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall. A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.**

"Are you trying to give you any more reason to make you think something is happening?" Annabeth asked Chiron who just smiled weakly

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

"At lest you haven't gotten caught…yet." Travis praised.

"Thanks for being confident in me." Percy glared; Travis squeezed and jumped behind the couch he was sitting on to hide from her.

**A few seconds later I heard a slow clop-clop-clop, like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, then moved on.  
**

"That was close." Annabeth muttered.

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Why what happened at the winter solstice?" Zeus asked us.

"Sommmmthinng." Percy said drawing out the word, in the tone of 'I know something you don't know!'

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

"Ew I have exams." Thalia said scrunching up her noise.

"You don't even go to school!" Percy and I shouted.

"Doesn't meant I can't hate them." The daughter of Zeus said rolling her eyes.  
**  
"Don't remind me." The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

"Percy, your forever is a lot shorter then what most people would call it." I laughed. "You probably waited two minutes then left."

"And that's a long time for me to be still _and_ quiet." Percy argued.  
**  
Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, as I passed his room, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night. Witch he hadn't since I dropped by a while ago to see if he wanted to study with me.**

"You know im still shocked that you studied Percy." Thalia said incredulously.

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?" He must have seen me walk by, since his door was opened.**

**I didn't answer.**

"That wasn't very nice." Aphrodite said to me. "Why don't you come to those listens with Hades and Chiron and I will work with you on how to be nice."

"No thank you!" Percy shouts waving her hands in front of her in the 'no way is that happening.' "I think I'll be just fine." She smiled.

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?" I stepped into the door frame but didn't go into the room in case I needed a quick get-away.**

**"Just... tired."**

**I turned away to leave so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting heading back to my room.**

"Well he can't read them when you leave the room idiot." Thalia said.

"Good." Percy smiled; she hated her emotions being read.

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing. But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger. Yet they didn't bother to tell me.**

"Does anyone tell you anything?" I asked her.

"What do you think?"

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam, **

"Ok that is just ridicules." Athena said. "Even I know a test shouldn't be that long."

There was a cores of "Ya's" and "I agrees"

**my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

"Dude, that sucks to be you." Conner said."Your totally in trouble."

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

"And you're safe!" Travis yelled popping up from behind the couch.

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

"Wow Chiron that was not the right thing to say." Aphrodite shook her head.

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say.**

**"This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

**My eyes stung. Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out. That was so typical of all my teachers. It really bothered me.**

I took her hand letting her know it was ok. I really needed to tell her how I felt…

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

"Aww, see you made her sad." Aphrodite said not letting Chiron go for this one.  
**  
"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be—"  
**

"Really? That's what you say to the girl?" Posiden said anger flashed in his eyes. "No one would take that well."

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

I looked at her; she didn't really have an easy time at all. I wish there was something I could do… I sighed not coming up with any ideas.  
**  
"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase. Happy to be leaving.**

**The other kids were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"Percy, you're not from a family of nobodies." I said to her

"Oh I know." She smiled. "I come from a family of crazies." She laughed ignoring the glares that were sent her way.

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city. What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall. Ya real fun it would be.**

"Somehow, I doubt that's really going to happen." Hermes laughed.

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool." They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed. **

"Do people not learn manners anymore?" Aphrodite humped, she was really bent on that huh?

**It was to be expected I guess I wasn't really popular, pretty, or cool.  
**

I squeezed her hand. "Hey you not allowed to think like that. You are the most popular girl at camp." I told her seriously. A blush crept up her neck as she turned back to the book hiding her face in it as she continued to read.

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had**

"Has anyone ever noticed that Satyrs are just demigod's personal stalkers?" She asked.

"No only you would thing that." Thalia said shaking her head.

"Where do you even come up with these ideas?" I asked her.

"No clue they just pop into my head." Percy shrugged.

**(which I did find a little weird, not that I was complaining having my best friend ride home with me or anything), so there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy,**

"Wow…another thing I never caught." I muttered.

"Nico your become almost as bad as Percy." Thalia grinned.

"Hey I am not!" I yelled in protest making her laugh.

**as if he expected something bad to happen. I started to wonder if he had high anxiety or might start having panic attacks because of it.**

"First you say he was crippled, now he as anxiety? For him being your best friend you aren't very nice." Thalia laughed.

"And just think we haven't even heard what she has to say to us." I added.

Percy facepalmed. "I'm so going to get myself into some serious trouble."

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said with a grin, "Looking for Kindly Ones?" Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

"Confessing is a horrible thing to do Percy." Travis said shaking his head.

"Yes it is, don't do it again." Conner added.

"Hey morons." Thalia yelled at them "Don't tell her that or she will actually do it."

"But there right Thals, confessing doesn't help." Percy nodded agreeing with the Stolls…Well that was never a good sign.

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"**

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

"So all of it." Apollo laughed.

**Ya I heard basically all of it.**

"HA! I knew it!" Apollo shouted.

"It wasn't hard to figure out." Artemis said rolling her eyes.

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers ..."**

"You know if I didn't know she was real I think I would have sent you off to a mental hospital." I said truthfully.

"Well she belongs there." Thalia smilled.

"Do you two get enjoyment out of making fun of me?" Percy asked crossing her arms and pouting like a child.

"Yup." Thalia and I said in unison witch made Percy stick her tong out at us.

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

"He should really just stop talking." Luke said.

"Ya he is digging himself into a hole." Conner agreed with his brother.  
**  
"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar." I finally said.**

"It's only painfully obvious." Travis snorted

**His ears turned pink. Poor guy.**

"If he didn't want to be embarrassed he shouldn't have tried to lie." Hermes said matter of factly.

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes,**

"Who is in charge of making those cards?" Zeus asked Dionysus.

Dionysus looked up from playing on his phone where he was playing a game off packman. "Er…I believe I put Trevor and Colin Stale in charge of it as punishment one day…They picked out the script."

Everyone looked at Travis and Conner. "Why would you do that?" Percy asked "That this gave me a headache for the longest time! It was like the time when the Spinks kept asking questions!"

"Well we figured if we had to suffer making them others could suffer reading them." Conner grinned. Percy threw the book at him. "Ow!" He yelled as it hit his head.

"You know I think I will just finish this chapter, so that the projectile is out of her hands." Annabeth said taking the book and started to read.

**but I finally made out something like: Grover Underwood Keeper Half-Blood Hill Long Island, New York (800) 009-0009 "What's Half—"**

"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped.

"Oh that's so not obvious." I snorted.

**"That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy. "Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded. "Or ... or if you need me."**

"Why do I have a felling Percy is going to say something mean?" Luke asked

"Because she most likely is." I answered.

"You know it's not nice it pick on people?" Percy asked pouting.

"Then why do you do it then?" Thalia asked. Percy didn't answer that just muttered something about being more awesome then everyone else.

**"Why would I need you?"**

"See Percy, you did say something mean." Thalia grinned proving her point.

**Did…Grover like me as more than a friend?**

Thalia and I snorted. "If he did he doesn't now." I laughed.

"Ya he too caught up in Juniper, and he has a bunch of other nature spirits making groggily eyes at him." Percy giggled. "He must love all the attention being the lord of the wild brings him."

**I never even thought about that being a possibility. Gosh, being twelve is the hardest thing.**

"No Way fifteen turning sixteen, is way harder." Percy said shaking her head.

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—," Man please don't have your confesion now Grover, I don't think I could handle you telling me that.**

"It would seem that way wouldn't it?" Aphrodite mused. "But I don't like you two as a pair. I guess I will have to find someone else for you dear."

I saw Percy go a little white from that statement. I didn't blame her, having Aphrodite mess about with love life isn't always a good thing.

"**I kind of have to protect you."**

"Isn't that you job?" Thalia asked me, I blushed. I was glad no one else had heard her.

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended me.**

**"Grover," I said, "what exactly are you protecting me from?"**

"Blood thirsty monsters ready to eat you alive." Dionysus hummed. "If only it would happen." I glared at him for that as did Poseidon.

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.**

"Doesn't that seem like great timing?" Apollo asked sarcastically.

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off.**

"I wouldn't get off that bus if I were you." Athena advised.

"Sorry a little too late now." Percy shrugged.

**Grover and I filed outside with everybody else. We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there.**

"Now what's going to happen?" Poseidon asked worried.

**On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.**

"Oh fruit is good." Demeter said as I rolled my eyes.

"Yes it is." Percy agreed happily. Her and her obsession with fruit.

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of bloodred cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies**

"Every old lady comes with two others." Percy said bitterly.

"Do you just have experience with every set of old ladies in the world?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of cores! Why wouldn't I?" Percy answered.

**sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

"T-the fates?" Annabeth asked surprised, as did everyone else.

"Who's dying this time?" I asked. "Obviously it isn't you since you're still alive."

"No one is dying." Percy said darkly as her hand went up to fiddle with the charm on her camp necklace, her nervous habit.**  
**

"**Hey I'm going to go get some apricots, there my favorite!"**

"I don't care if there you're favorite! Don't go over there!" Poseidon yelled earning some looks. Percy just smiled and nodded, but she couldn't change her actions now.

**I smiled as I carefully crossed the four lanes of traffic. I looked over all the delicious looking fruit picking some of the ripest out thinking my mother would also enjoy them. When I was done I went up to the old ladies to pay.**

"Grover did not do a good job protecting you." Travis said shaking his head.

**Up close I saw that the socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

"Wait…you mean that's…" Thalia said with wide eyes. Percy nodded. We had seen the fates with that color string right after the battle. It was Luke's life strand…but how is he still…

**All three women looked ancient,**

"They are ancient." Percy laughed.

**with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. The weirdest thing was, when they looking right at me. They all gave me this knowing look like they knew what was meant to come.**

"Run, just run." Luke said giving advice.

"No, I think this is for the best." Percy said white faced.

**I looked over to see Grover something about me come over here and made the blood drain from his face. His nose was twitching.**

"Poor Grover, he probably thinks you're going to die." Annabeth said. "How aren't you dead?" she asked.

"Who said anything about that life strand being mine?" Percy asked. "I've seen mine, and it's a sea green that matches my eyes." She informed.

"How did you find that out?" Hermes asked.

"Long, long story." Percy said.**  
**

"**Hi, I'd like these." I said smiling showing the fruited and jug of citer I had put in a brown bag.**

"Sure be more concerned with you precious little fruit." Thalia snorted.

"Thanks, I will be." Percy shot back with a crazed smile.**  
**

"**One second." The old lady middle one said in a dry voice that sounded like she hadn't had a drink in ages. When she took out a huge pair of scissors—**

"Oh gods." Poseidon whispered.

I grabbed Percy's hand so I would know she was still right beside me. 'She is still alive, you know that's not hers.' I tried to tell myself to calm me down.

**gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I was filled with dread. "Those aren't normal." I told myself**

"Are you only observant when you want to be?" Athena asked Percy.

Percy didn't answer at first; she seemed not to be paying attention to anything but her own thoughts. "huh?" She asked revising someone was speaking to her. "Oh…ya I guess so."

**"Percy lets go," Grover shouted at me. "Come on."**

"His right, listen to the goat." Zeus said. Even he was nerves…wow.

**"One second" I said. "Be right there."**

"No, no, no. Go now." Poseidon said again. I wondered if my dad cared that much for me. I looked over to him and he just seemed to be glaring at Poseidon…I figured he didn't.  
**  
"Come on!'" He yelled as he left to get back on the bus, I stayed still wanting my fruit.**

"Your really that dumb?" Thalia asked her.

"And I will only get dumber." Percy grinned.

**In front of me, the old ladies were still watching me. When the old lade was about to cut the yarn I acted on an impulse,**

"Un-oh." Thalia and I said. "Her impulses are never good."

**and grabbed the shears from her.**

"You did not just do that?" Hermes asked Percy. "That is one of the worst things you could do!" he yelled.

"**So that is the choice you have made?" The middle one said to me.**

"She is right." Percy muttered. Her hand was back fettling with her necklace again. "It was my choice, and I now know how it will affect the rest of the world."

"**You will have to live with that for the rest of your life you know." Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, "Those shears are yours now, keep them as a reminder."**

My mouth dropped. "Do you still have them?" I asked she nodded.

"That's a creppy reminder." Travis said in awe.

**I looked down at the scissors in my hand and saw them glow slightly before changing into a necklace with a smaller less sharp version of the scissors.**

"Isn't the charm on your camp necklace a pair of scissors?" Thalia asked.

"Yes it is." Percy said then showed her necklace, where the gold and silver scissors were. "There the same ones." She added before anyone could ask.

**I know I saw that I wasn't imagining thing I knew it just happened.**

"Good, you're not allowing the mist to affect you still." Athena said approvingly.

**When I looked up the lades were gone, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.  
**

"I believe I decided they were for Godzilla." Percy said with a smile. "Though it was a tuff decision to make."

"Really, you still thought like that?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes." She replied.

**I left some money for the fruit and citer and ran back to the bus. The scissors necklace was in my hand, somehow I knew that even if I would throw it away or lost it, it would just find its way back to me.**

"So there enchanted too?" Apollo asked. "Interesting…are they any use other then the reminder?"

"Yes, they can still go into their full size form." Percy said. Then muttered about a curse too.

**Just as I got back, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

"Isn't that good timing?" Hermes asked.

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu. Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering. "Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?" **

"A whole heck of a lot." Artemis muttered.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand? Did they talk to you?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?" If they were I might have really just pissed them off taking their scissors.**

"No really?" Thalia said.

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds.**

"Much, much worse." I said.

**He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

"You're not going to tell him are you?" Hera asked.

"No, I don't think I ever did either." Percy said.  
**  
"Oh nothing out of the norm, I just bought fruit." I smiled lying with ease…even though it didn't feel right to be.**

"Good you shouldn't have lied." Hera said with a sigh.

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

"Why can you pick that up when you can't pick up simple Greek?" I asked

"Because I'm Percy." She grinned.**  
**

**He said, "Are you sure that's all that happened." I got the felling he knew I was lying.**

"He did." Athena informed.

"After having an empathic link with him for the last four years I think I know." Percy laughed.

"Why do you have an empathic link with him?" Zeus asked.

"He needed me to go help slay a brother of mine." She grinned witch made Poseidon gulp.

**"Yup! Why are you making a big deal about three old ladies?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal. **

"It is." Luke said. "It's like a God getting kidnapped."

Percy and Thalia looked at each other. "That was a horribly depressing quest." Percy said looking at me sadly. She still felt bad for Bianca.

"Don't tell me it happened." Luke said in shock.

"Tell me it was Apollo who got taken away." Artemis asked jokingly. The three of us didn't want to answer her.

"**Oh I got you an apple by the way." I smiled and dug in the bag for it, then handed him a bright red one.**

I laughed. "You know his weakness already."

**"Thanks," Grover mumbled. He took a bit out of it. I could tell there was something else on his mind though. And when he said "I don't want this to be like the last time." In a low mutter I knew I was correct.**

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

"He freaked me out so much." Percy admitted.

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

**This didn't seem strange to me, at first, I figured he just wanted to spend more time with me my idea of him having a crush seamed more plausible, so I promised he could.**

**"Sure, that's why he wanted to walk you home." I snorted.**

"You shouldn't really worry too much though." I said.

"Your talking about Grover." Travis laughed. "His the worry wart of the camp."

**No answer.**

**"Grover— it's not like somebody is going to die." I said trying to be cheerful, yet I figured if I had let them….that's exactly what it meant.**

"Yes that's what it means." Athena answered.

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"She likes the blue Himalayan Poppy, blue sea Holly, and Moonlace." I smiled thinking how those flowers always made Percy happy.

"Awww!" Aphrodite squeaked. I felt Percy slip her hand out of mine. "You know her favorite flowers how cute!"

"I told you, she comes down to the underworld like every weekend to garden with my step mom." I said as an excuse, even though I knew them for other reasons. "She talks about those three a lot too, and don't you have a window box planter filled with them to?" I asked her.

She nodded smiling. "Yes I do."

"Anyways who wants to read next?" I asked switching the conversation.

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**A/N: Ok that's the chapter…What do you think? I'm expecting some flames from this chapter because I changed it so much, so go ahead and flame me if you want. I did have a point in changing it so much.**

**Love and Destruction,**

**Heroes Legacy.**


	4. My Little Girl!

**A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! If your still with me after the last chapter, I freaken love you! I just thought I would let all of you know I am planning to do the entire series including the Heroes of Olympus, but I will get that done when I get to it! As always thanks for reading and have an awesome day! **

**And I just wanted to say I was wanting to cry while I wrote this chapter, because I did make some of it up, but it fit and gave Percy a new reason to do some of the things she does…**

**Disclaimer: I wish I would have written this series but sadly I didn't.**

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**Percy's P.O.V~**

That last chapter was just horrible. I didn't want anyone finding out I had talked to the Fates, let alone know that I have a pair of there shears….well I assume they have more than one pair…that would make their job very hard if they didn't.

Anyways the damage was done and Conner and Travis were fighting over who got to read the next chapter. "Now now children." Chiron finally said with a sigh. "I will read the book now give it here." He said. Conner handed him the book and I couldn't wait to see what would be in this one.

"**Chapter three, Grover unexpectedly losses his pants." Chiron read.**

"You would think that Grover would have more decency that to take his pants off in front of a girl." Travis snickered.

"Yes you would." Zeus agreed. "Chiron teach him better."

**Confession time: **

"Now what did you do?" Thalia asked me with a raised eyebrow.

**I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

"Sweetie, that wasn't nice." Aphrodite said to me making me role my eyes.

"I had good reason too."

**I know, I know. It was rude. **

"Yes it was." Hera said.

**But Grover was freaking me out,**

"He can do that a lot huh?" Travis asked me.

"Not anymore. It's more like I freak him out when I go do something death-defying." I smiled.

"Do you do those things often?" Ares asked interested.

"Naturally."

**looking at me like I was a dead man walking**

"Isn't that meant to be Nico though?" Thalia asked.

"I'm not dead!" Nico shouted.

"Yet." I grinned. I'm kinda confused about how Nico's been acting today. I mean his been acting kinda protective…not that I don't mind it, it's just…Ah! I'm not sure what to think. I looked up to see Nico and Thalia still arguing, I peered around and Aphrodite gave me a knowing smile. Gosh I hated that woman at times.

"Ok let's continue Chiron." I said smiling. "They will shut up if we keep going."

…**er well girl but dead man sounds cooler then dead girl walking (Ah! Focuses Percy, focuses), **

That made everyone laugh. "Do you really think like that?" Apollo asked me.

"Only when I realized I'm going off track with my thoughts." I answered truthfully.

**muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"Because he find every-," I started to say then stopped. "You know I'm not going to finish that sentence." **(A/N: Hat to do this, but am I the only one who notices Grover finds every child of the big three? Now who says he's a bad protector?)**

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

"We need to work on your confrontational skills." Thalia laughed. I normally would protest to that, but she is kinda right.

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

"Oh! We know where she lives now!" Conner said getting this wild look in his eye. "We can prank her now!"

"I don't like there anymore." I informed them. "But the last time you guys did prank me at home, I got you locked up in a mental hospital for a week before Chiron found out and came to get you." I smirked. That was some of the best revenge I have ever gotten.

"H-how did you do that?" Travis asked.

"Some mortals will have no issue finding you crazy if you keep talking about the gods around them, and some demigods don't know when to shut up." That ended that conversation by the younger demigods all inching away from me looking at me sacredly.

**A word about my mother, before you meet her.**

"She is extremely nice." Thalia smiled. "I go over there for holidays. She never has a issue with me staying there."

"I think she expects to see you and Nico over for holidays, I think she would be a little sad if you didn't come over. She always has wanted a bigger family." I smiled at my cosines.

"She defiantly id a mother figure to those who don't have one." Nico agreed. "Except the time she told me I had to go back to the underworld that one time…" Nico said scrunching up his nosie.

"You ran away though!" Thalia and I shouted. "And that was only a few days after she let things setle between you and your dad."

"Wow, so you all know her?" Hera asked. "She sounds like a wonderful mother." She said approvingly.

I didn't care if I hadn't previesly like Hera, but having her like my mom was a good thing, her being the gods of mothers that is.

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck. **

"That's because Nemesis likes it that way." Apollo said. "She is always fighting with Tychy."

"Aren't they opposites though?" I asked. "I mean luck and undeserved good luck? How could they get along?"

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

"That's such a shame that is really bad luck." Athena said. "And she seemed so bright and hardworking too."

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

I smiled and looked over to my dad who was grinning like a fool.

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures. See, they weren't married. **

"You can't expect to marry a Greek god." Hera said. "Most of them are already married anyways."

"Oh she can have Hephaestus, and I will marry Ares." Aphrodite grinned at the idea.

"I don't see why you're always leaving me." Hephaestus said sadly. "Why am I not good enough for you?"

**She told me he was rich and important, **

"I'll say his important." Thalia snorted.

**and their relationship was a secret.**

"I don't think I would be alive if it wasn't." I whispered to Nico who nodded.

**Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back. Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"That's…an odd thing to say." Athena said, her eyes stared at me trying to figure me out. I looked away getting my attention back on the book so she couldn't see my eye color. That would give it away.

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

"You're still not an easy kid." Nico laughed at me.

"I know, I feel bad enough as it is." I answered. He stopped laughing; I assume he was thinking I'd give him one of my famous witty comebacks because he apologized for saying it…

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano,**

"What kind of name is that?" Connor asked me.

"The name of a oily walrus." I answered with a fake grin. That guy…he still gave me nightmares, I hate him. I hope his miserable in tartarus.

**who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe.**

"And smelly he was." I said. That was the only good thing about him.

**I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

"That's attractive." Aphrodite said grimly and pale. Didn't blame her, he reeked.

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her,**

Yes…the way he would hit her I mean. I didn't like where this was going…This chapter…I have a feeling a lot of truths would be found out.

**the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

"This sounds like it will be interesting." Nico grinned. "You never mention you had a step dad, before Paul. You must really have tortured him." He said grinning. 'no, it wasn't me who did the torturing.'

"What's to mention about a sculpture." I asked earning a few odd looks.

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

"That's nice." Annabeth said sarcastically.

Poseidon gritted his teeth.

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"What!" Poseidon yelled loudly. "Why that arrogant little mortal! How dare he treat my little girl in such a way!" He looked down right in furious.

"Your little girl?" Zeus asked angrily. "You mean she is your daughter?" He was getting anger as well, but for a different reason then my dad.

"Of cores he is her father." Hades snorted. "I found that out a while ago."

"And you're not upset?" Zeus asked him. "When I had a child, you tried to kill her! Almost seceded too."

"I would have." Hades said then looked over at Nico. "But Nico glared at me when I was about to. My son has taken a liking to the girl, and I won't be the one to mess with that." I blushed at that. "I do try to consider my Childers happiness before I act."

"Percy's my best friend dad, and if you kill her then the world is doomed." Thalia said. "I dodged the bullet when it came to being the prophecy kid, I gave that title to Percy, And she save all of Olympus, now sit down you won't be messing with her unless you want a lot of angry demigod who will go join the Titians." She threatened.

"Thank Thalia." I smiled at my cousins and my Uncle finally I looked at my dad and said. "Its fine relax." But I was pleased he stuck up for me.

**That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months? **

"That is a horibl man." Aphrodity growled.

"Yes, who treats a child like that?" Hera asked.

"You can't say much, considering you pitched me off olimpus." Heptheasus growled.

"I said I was sorry dear." Hera said looking guilty. She probably was. I mean her own son has hated her for that, since it happened. That is a Long time for a son to hate his mom. I know I would hate my child not loving me.

"I'm going to kill him." My dad hissed.

"Oh I will so be willing to help Lord Poseidon." Nico said. I elbowed him in the ribcage for that.

"Don't egg him on. It's fine." I said "Besides, you can't harm someone who is already dead."

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.**

"Not even my blessing could do anything for him." Aphrodite laughed.

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer.**

"That is no environment for a chilled to grow up in!" Dad yelled.

" I agree." Hera said.

**Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "Father Daughter secret." **

"That is despicable!" Hera cried. "What kind of adult makes a child do that?" No one answered that question, but judging from the dark looks on ever ones face's they were all thinking up things to do to him… I sighed, if they found out…things would only get worse.

**Meaning, if I told my mom, he would beat me.**

I caught my breath. Maybe no one would notice that last statement and keep reading. Sadly that didn't happen.

Everyone turned their head towards me, while I kept a steal gaze at the book, cursing it to Tartarus. "Percy, he didn't mean that like I think he did, did he?" My dad asked me in a soft caring tone. I didn't answer. "Percy this is serious. Did he hit you?" I shook my head no.

"Persephone, it isn't good to lie about something like this." Apollo said to me seeing through my act.

I felt horrible at that point. That was way to personal for others to know, not even my mom knew…

"Percy, why didn't you tell anyone you were a-abused?" My father asked stumbling over the a-word. "Are you ok?" He asked worried.

"That fool of a human." Hera yelled. "If he thinks he can hurt someone of godly decent he is wrong!"

I flinched back from her words. Next to me I could tell Thalia and Nico were livid. Thalia had little sparks of electrify going down her arms, while Nico hands were surrounded by black hellfire. I wanted to yell at them to all calm down, it was no big deal…but I knew they wouldn't listen.

The gods started to talk about their plans for torturing Gabe; they all wanted a crack at him before he died, and even in the afterlife Hades was promising to make him suffer. The demigod's including Thalia and Nico had huddled up and began talking about what they were going to do. There was mention of being dipped in hot wax and drove over with a chariot, I did know which group had said what, but I knew I didn't want to be there any longer.

No one was paying me much attention, so I took the opportunity to run from the hall and out on to Olympus, into the fresh air.

**Poseidon's P.O.V~**

I was angry. Percy was the only daughter I have ever had. Sure I had son's but I had never had a daughter to call my little girl, no little ballerina in the pink tutus, no chance to intimidate the first boy she brought home, till now. Percy would be my favorite child. I knew it from the moment I looked at her in her cradle when she was a week old and I snuck over for a visit.

I had always wanted a little girl, and now I found mine had been abused. And judging from the fact that she didn't even want to talk about it, lead me to believe it happened on several occasions. I was a horrible father. I failed at keeping her safe, she needed me and I didn't even know it. I wish I had known.

"I say we do Chinese water torched." I said. "It will make him go insane though." I smiled. Braking him into tiny bits is what he deserves.

"Yes but we want him to remember why he is getting pu-," Athena stopped dead in her tracks. "Where did she go?" She asked.

I looked around and my hart sunk even more. "I-I didn't even relies Percy had left the room." I said as I flopped back down on my thrown. "I'm almost as bad as a father as Kronos." I said remembering my dad.

"Don't say that." Surprisingly Hades said that. "You're not; I don't think she told anyone, how were you supposed to know? And she just left I bet." He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder, he was always my favorite brother.

"His right, Percy is the kind of person who cares more for others then herself. It's hard for her to let others in." I looked down at the son of Hades. I had been wondering what the relationship of him and my daughter was I didn't. Exactly like how close they seemed to be, but he seems to care for her, that's all that counts.

"I'm her father though, I don't want her hurt." I said simply.

"Brother, it will be just fine." Zeus said. "Why don't we stop reading and take a break for a while? Its lunchtime anyways, we should eat."

"I'm going to go find Percy; I will meet you guys at the dining hall when I find her." Nico said. I was about to abject and go find her myself, but I figured it would be better this way. I watched him leave the throne room, and tried to compose myself.

**Nico's P.O.V~**

Why didn't Percy tell me? She knew I would understand, she was meant to be my best friend, didn't that mean we tell each other everything for the other to help? Or does she not trust me enough?

Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts I ran to the place she would most likely be. See, there was this hedge maze that lead to a small garden with a pond if you took the right path. Percy loved that place; I'm assuming she went there.

When I got to the entrance of the garden I was release to find her. Though she was sitting on a bench that was surrounded by crazy color flowers with her knees pulled to her chest and her forehead was resting on them. She was quiet enough but you could hear a soft heartbreaking sob though, she was crying? No Percy doesn't cry…what?

I was confused and sad to see my best friend crying I never thought I would see that. "Posy are you ok?" I asked as I sat down by her.

"Don't call me that." She said half heartedly. She hated that nickname I gave her. "I'm fine, just go away."

I frowned. "I'm not going anywhere." I said. "Not till your ok."

"I-I don't want to talk about it." She said quietly.

"Fine we won't talk about it Posy." I said rubbing her back trying to calm her down. I was never any good at these things, most likely because I never had any real experience with emotions, I lock mine away or just turn them all to rage (not the best way to deal with things I know) and I'm on my own a lot of the time now. I hoped I was doing the right thing.

We sat there for a while till she picked her chin up and said, "I didn't tell anyone because, it was the better thing to do. Gabe said if I told my mom would be the one to get hurt then, and it would be much worse then. I didn't want that to happen so I kept my mouth shut. When I found out about the whole "you're a demigod Percy." I had more important things to deal with like saving the world.

When he-." She broke off there not wanting to say something. I didn't blame her; this was a very hard topic for her to talk about. "When he hit me or anything, I felt so useless, so incredibly useless. I didn't like it. I didn't want anyone giving me any pity or seeing me as one of those girls who couldn't protect themselves…even though I am."

I pulled her into a hug and muttered into her ear, "Persephone Jackson, you are not weak, you are anything but weak. You were loyal to your mother, it's your fatal flaw, it would have broken you to see her get hurt. That's why you took it. You're not useless either. You defeated Kronos, how many people could say that? You are amazing, stop doubting yourself." I waited for her to yell at me for using her full name; I would have loved to see her be happy again.

After a few more seconds she pulled away from the embrace. Her face was read and had tearstains; her eyes looked greener yet were read and puffy. She was still beautiful, and I decided I had to tell her…just maybe not now.

"Thanks." She said giving me a weak smile. I reached up and wiped away the few remaining tears from her cheek. I felt my face turn hot as I realized what I had done.

"You better know?" I asked.

"A little." She admitted.

"That's better than before." I smiled relieved to hear that. "Thank you for telling me that Posy, I know it wasn't easy to." She winkled her noise at the name, but smiled for me anyways.

She stood up and held out her hand to me. "I don't want to face them by myself." I took her hand that was more of the Percy I knew.

"It's a good thing I'm here then huh?" I asked leading here away from our little garden. "Let's go eat lunch with the others."

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**A/N: Ok finished! I know that wasn't the full chapter and I'm sorry I don't normally like cutting chapters in half like this, but I felt like it needed to be done since a lot happened in this. So I will get the next two chapters out as soon as I can considering I think I may do one just where there having lunch, I don't know yet I'll see where I get. Review if you want.**

**Love and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy**


	5. A Walk With Death Crap

**A/N: All righty, where is the next chapter! I just want thank all those who reviewed. I did take some Ideas from those of you who gave them or gave me a spark of one so thank you! And Thank you especially to Perseia Jackson, you helped a ton, I may just add the Candy Cain sword fight somewhere in this story…you never know.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own**

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**Poseidon's P.O.V~**

We were all sitting at the long table in the dining hall, demigods sat by their parents talking to each other in happy tones. I was a wreck I nervously tapped my foot wondering why Percy was taking so long, was she ok?

"Poseidon she will be fine." Zeus said. "I'm sure our nephew will take care of her." He sat at the head of the table with me to his left and Thalia from the right sitting next to Hades. For someone sitting by the Lord of the Dead she looked perfectly fine like he didn't bother her, which was uncommon.

I looked at my plate, the plate were magical and filled with whatever you wanted to eat so as to not spark any arguments in the family over what was for dinner. It looked appetizing yet I wasn't hungry.

"Nico is only half as insensible as he seems." Thalia informed not helping at all.

"My son is better than that." Hades growled.

"Maybe." Thalia shrugged.

Hades looked like he wanted to blow his top at the girl, when the door creaked open.

I looked at the door hopefully. The son of Hades walked in looking behind him, he walked in looking proud and confident like all the children of the big three. It seemed to be in their blood, something they inherit from my brothers and I. He was holdings someone's hand. Looking past him and sure enough there was Percy. She was looking down almost hiding behind her friend…or dare I say lover? I shivered at that. She didn't seem to want anyone's attention, yet she held everyone's. Nico lead her up one side of the tabil and made her take the set next to me, before finding his own seat.

"Hey dad." She said looking up with a smile. It seemed genuine but also sad. Her eyes were a little red making me wonder if she was crying.

"Persph-," I was cut off by Percy Glaring.

"I do not go by that name." She hissed. She was right when she said mortals wouldn't take her glares, they were downright terrifying, on par with Hades.

"She's right, she goes by Posy." Nico smirked. Posy…that was a cute name, I instantly liked it.

Percy grabbed a blue role (for some reason all her food was blue…why I had no clue.) from her plate and chucked it at him. "I do not go by that name also." She said shaking her head.

"Why?" Aphrodite asked her. "It's so cute! Is that the name you gave her Nico?"

"Yes, I figured she needed a nickname that was actually a girl's named, my step mom subjected Posy since it was a common nick name for the name Persephone, and she is obsessed with flowers." Nico smiled. I growled the boy may be sweet but he was still a son of Hades…I rather her be with a son of Zeus, I mean what if he makes her eat something from the underworld? Would I ever see her again?

"Yes and it is too girly, that's why I don't like it," Percy sighed.

"But it's perfect for Perico!" Aphrodite. Oh no! She already has there couple name? There distrain to be together now; Aphrodite only gives them to her favorite couples. Couples such as Paren, for Helen and Paris…(Hellen was with Paris which is why the Trojan war happened) hopefully this couple won't start a war.

I look over at Hades and he gives me a look that reads. "This is not what I had planned…" It probably mirrored my own. He shook his head and smiled, I had a felling he actually liked the idea.

"Do I even want to know what that means?" Percy asked.

"Its-," I cut Aphrodite off.

"Nothing you need to know!" I interjected. The gods snickered at that, while Percy looked upset by that, the other demigods looked confused thought.

I founded my appetite again once I saw that Percy was doing better.

"So Percy, how many quest have you been on?" Annabeth asked.

"We have been on four big ones together then a few other smaller ones." Percy said. "Then I have done maybe three with other people."

Annabeth looked shocked. "Why have I gone on so many quests with you?" she asked.

"Because your one of my best friends." Percy said. "I went on my first quest with you, and we just made a good team."

"And you keep her from dying from her stupid plans." Thalia added. That sentence made me worry, stupid, dying, and plans don't go well together.

"My stupid plans have saved our butts multiple times." Percy grinned like a mad women. "I pull off crazy stupid with flare."

"Yes and your the only one who can do it too." Nico said amused "Because the rest of us who try get killed."

"Not my fault you fallow me by example." Percy replied.

"You're our leader!" Thalia and Nico yelled "We have to fallow you."

"Well who was the idiot who decided that?" Percy asked. My niece and nephew groaned but didn't answer.

"I do agree that does not seem like the wise chose." Athena said making her opinion known to all.

"It's not really because I rather be a friend to a girl who has taken down gods and Titans then her enemy." Thalia said. "And telling her what to do will only lead to trouble; she is a better leader then a follower."

"And she doesn't make bad mistakes or ideas _all_ the time." Nico said. "Just most."

This kids were not making Percy seem great, if anything they made her out for a lunatic on steroids or a mental escapee. These were meant to be her best friends? Maybe she should rethink that.

"You said she has taken down Gods," Zeus asked. "Why?"

"Half of the time they weren't being nice or just got on my bad side." Percy shrugged. "Though, I do have some bad relationship with some of their kids now." She said and I swore I saw her look at Ares at that. I don't want her fighting Ares as much as I don't want Apollo looking or dating her. And let me just say that is a lot.

"Now for the most important question," Conner said

"Why is your food blue?" Travis continued where his brother left off.

"What is this?" Percy asked "Twenty questions?"

"Yes." Everyone replied.

"That's four, hurry up and answer." Annabeth smiled enjoying the information.

"Fine, that answer will be given in the book." Percy smirked. I was interested in learning about my daughter's life; however it seems she wasn't interested in sharing. I wonder why.

**Hades' P.O.V~**

I have to say I'm pretty proud of my son. I mean he has the attention of from what I can understand the hero of Olympus. I much rather him have been the child of the prophecy, but Percy seemed like a nice, charming, sneaky, secrete keeping girl perfect for a son of Hades. I value a girl who can be sweet but deadly when need be. Just like my wife.

I was shocked when I had heard that she comes down to the underworld on a regular basis…I was even more shocked that I allowed her to come into my domain. She must make my son happy, probably my wife to.

"Percy, I think we should take a walk." I said to the girl. I got up ignoring the glares from my brother and son, and walked to the door.

"Excuse me then." I heard Percy say as she followed me out of the dining hall.

(**A/N: Oh I really really wanted to end it here.)**

We walked for a bit before I decided to talk. "Why do you go down into the underworld so much? It must not be just to garden with my lovely wife." The girl jumped in the air.

"Er…well…" Percy stumbled. "Nico's not one for hanging around many people, so I go see him a bit, but the gardens down there a truly wonderful." I laughed at that, the girl thought she could fool me.

"My point is, do you like me son?" I asked.

"N-Not like as in like like, were just friends." Percy said getting flustered.

I gave her a look that told her I didn't believe her. "I can tell you that he feels more than that. So do you, you can be an awful liar when it comes to your feeling, do you know that?"

"I'm sure he doesn't." Percy said stubbornly. "His always liked Annabeth…even if she is dating someone." She looked away unhappy. Was the girl that dense? Must take it from her father.

"Keep in mind what I said." I started walking ahead back to the throne room. I assume most everyone is done with lunch. "If you hurt my son, I will not be a happy god."

**Nico's P.O.V~**

What was my father doing? I wasn't very happy that he whisked away Percy. Honestly didn't she have enough to deal with in one day? He shouldn't be bothering her. Oh gosh, what if his going to kill her for being a daughter of Poseidon?

I took a deep breath I needed to calm down. I had been on edge since Aphrodite gave me that cryptic message when she passed me entering the throne room. I shivered at the thought. I didn't really like the goddess of love.

When my Percy came in trailing behind my grinning father she was deep in thoughts; you could tell from her eyes, they looked distant yet sharp. I liked to think of it as her thinking face.

She sat down next to Thalia putting her in the middle separating us…witch I was sad about. Was she mad at me? Was it something my father said? Oh Gods what if he scared her way?

"Hey Perc." Thalia greeted. "I see your still among the living. How was it you didn't die when you insulted him?"

"Who said I insulted him?" Percy asked.

"Your Percy Jackson, you always insult someone, especially gods." She laughed.

"I like Uncle Hades, why would I piss him off?" Percy asked. "Last time I ended up in a dungeon for a half hour." She looked at me and smiled that meant thanks for saving her.

Maybe she wasn't mad or upset…

"Is everyone ready to begin?" Athena asked having the green book in her hand. Everyone nodded. "Alright then, let's continue."

* * *

**A/N: Alright what do you think? What was Aphrodite's message to Nico? What does Percy think about what Hades said? Oh what does Poseidon think about it? Maybe I will answer those questions in the next chapter, maybe I won't, who knows. Review and flame if you want.**

**Love and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy!**


	6. All Rebellious

**A/N: What's up people? Ok so I gotten a few responses that they like it when I have other points of views and not just Percy's, I'm totally fine with writing that way I just want to know what everyone else things and who do you think the Point of Views should be? Who do you want to hear from? So let me know thanks! Next question, I meant to ask it last chapter, Percy's and Nico's couple name is Perico right? If not would someone tell me so I can fix it and feel really dumb?**

**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own, now let's finish chapter three (er in the book I mean) than**

* * *

**Zeus' P.O.V~**

Let me just say it's not that I don't like my niece; she seems like a nice girl…for someone who is related to my idiot brother that is. It's that I don't like that Aphrodite seams currently obsessed with them; they make a very powerful couple. Even their father's seam more friendly because of it. What if they team up agents me? I could lose my throne!

I for one am certainly happy that Thalia joined the Huntresses, now I don't have to worry about her getting mixed up with the bad boys that girls go for.

Athena cleared her throat letting people know she was going to continue with the story.

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

I could tell Poseidon was still upset about the whole abused situation when he clenched his teeth and gripped his thrown. I wouldn't blame him, I would be furious too if someone did that to Thalia.

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

Charming." Aphrodite muttered. "

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else. **

"Don't tell me that's why?" Athena said almost to herself in disbelief.

"It is." Percy said grimly.

"Why what?" I asked curiously.

"Sally, Percy's mother stayed with that retched man because his revolting smell masked Percy's." Athena said.

"It was very nice of the women to protect her child that way; you don't see it much anymore." My wife said. I sighed, she wanted a child so badly and I told her I didn't want any more gods running around, and she wasn't one for having mortal children.

"Yes, she always does that." Percy smiled

"And driving you to your battles?" I daughter laughed.

"That was one time!" Percy yelled making everyone laugh wondering about that story.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, she ought to carry her own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

"No he certainly is not right!" Poseidon growled

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"At least he has some decency." The girl name Annabeth sighed.

**"Am I right?" Gabe repeated.**

"Are you ever right?" Nico asked making me laugh, I didn't though.

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

"Really? No wonder they hang out with Smelly Gabe." Ares laughed amused for once. "They like three peas in a pod."

"Wow, I'm surprised you knew what that expression meant." Percy grinned. Boy was that girl mouthy, how was she alive?

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

"Oh he will." Hermes said cryptically with a grin on his face.

**"Your report card came, Genus girl!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

"I'm amazed he could read it." Travis laughed. I think everyone thought the same way.

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

"How can you expect a girl to like that?" Aphrodite screeched incredulously. "Not even prisoners are treated that way."

"It's Gabe, what do you expect?" Percy asked bitterly. "He loves making my life miserable, not that it need any help from him." The girl seemed to have a hard life I will give her that.

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

"Nice sarcasum." Hermes laughed.

"Thanks, it's my best weapon…next to Riptide." She smiled. Wasn't Riptide the sword my son Heracles had?

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the thought of the old fruit lades.**

"That bad?" Apollo asked and Percy nodded.

"I recon he smells just like you." Artemis snickered. Why must my children fight? Oh well as long as I just don't hear the 'I'm older then you!' argument again I won't comment.

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak.**

"Weakling." Areas laughed

"Ares, shut up." Percy glared. Ares cowered in his thrown a bit in fear. What made it possible for this girl to mouth off to the gods without fear?

"Why don't you make me?" Ares asked. Obviously he didn't expect her to answer how she did…no one did, well except Thalia and Nico I think because the both did what Apollo and Hermes calls a facepalm.

The girl stood up "Fine, I will be happy to beat you any day." Did the girl really think she could take on the god of war? She is insane! Then again…Thalia did say she defeated Kronos…

Ares laughed and grabbed his sword that was next to him. "How could a mortal even think they could defeat me."

"Because I beat you once before, when I was much untrained. Now it won't even be a challenge." She was grinning; it was odd how she could go from crying to borderline insane.

"Children, lets settle down and let's continue." Hera said kindly.

"Huh?" Percy said intelligently, "Ok." She skipped back to her seat. I knew one thing…that girl was as just like the sea, her emotions changed quickly and suddenly.

**I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

"Oh no, not another monster." Poseidon said.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

Everyone laughed, "Poseidon, that's not a monster." I chuckled.

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

"She can make anyone feel better by walking in the room." Thalia smiled. Was she really that close to Percy and her mom?

"Yes, especially when she has blue cookies." Nico added, my daughter hit him for that making me chuckle.

**Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe…well she will mumble things about him once in a while… "Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!" Why is it that adults always say that?**

"Because we don't like how much our babies have changed." Poseidon smiled. "We want you to be small again."

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

"Percy wanna share any?" Travis asked her drooling.

"Yes, sharing is very nice." Hermes added.

"My mom doesn't work there anymore." Percy informed them.

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her baby girl doing all right? I told her that I was really, really glad to see her. Just like I always did when I got home.**

"Awww, that's so sweet." Hera and Aphrodite I rolled my eyes not caring.

**Thalias's P.O.V~**

I had to admit, this book was interesting. It told everything Percy decided she didn't want us to know. I was amused, however I think Nico is about to blow. Percy maybe blind to his feelings, but I wasn't. I swore off guys, but that doesn't mean I can't meddle into others.

I Smirked as I came up with an idea, It was time for operation Perico.

I think im the only demigod who knew what Aphrodite meant by that, but its ok they will learn.

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?" I gritted my teeth.**

As did most of the room.

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.**

"I quite agree with that Percy." Poseidon said.

"You know, Paul may not be a millionaire, but I like him." Percy mused.

"Who?" Everyone asked

"Oh, my new stepdad slash English teacher." She said.

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself. I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

"You have always had a way of convincing people seaweed brain." I laughed. Her being the oldest (well technically that's Nico, but anyways) and most _mature _one of the three, she stuck her tong at me.

**Until that trip to the museum ...**

"Ya that doesn't scream that you gave it away at all." Apollo said with a brilliant smile. I don't care if I took a vow of maidenhood, that god was amazingly hot!

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

"You're going to lie to her huh?" Nico asked her.

"Yes." Percy admitted, making him sigh.

"At least you're honest about that."

**"No, Mom." I felt bad lying.**

"You should." Nico said. "She would have known what to do, why do I have a feeling something bad happens because you lied?"

"Because it's Percy." I answered.

**I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

"She would know better then that." Nico said.

"Why it's not like she can really see any of it." Conner said.

"Actually she does have clear sight." Percy said.

"Oh." Conner replied.

"Just because she can see what's happening doesn't make it better all the time." Luke said. I felt bad for him, his mother was a raving lunatic….more so than Percy.

"Luke, you know your mom misses you right?" Percy asked kindly. I snapped my head towards her, did she meet Luke's mom? "She still makes cookies and p.b and j's for you every day thinking you will come home for the next meal." Luke didn't say anything just looked at Percy in shock.

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach." **

"I bet you just loved that." Conner snickered to Percy.

"Naturally…but it didn't go as planned." Percy grinned.

"Does anything go as planned with you?" Annabeth asked.

"Does it sound like it?" Percy asked.

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

"Oh I love that place." Poseidon and Percy said together. They turned and grinned at each other. Like father like daughter.

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

"Ah there were so many happy memories there." Poseidon smiled. "It's where I met your mother an-,"

"I don't wanna hear anything icky!" Percy shouts covering her ears. She was still so naive.

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed." I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

"Really? I can't imagine why?" Dionysus chuckled. You know it amazed me at how hard he tried to make it seemed like he didn't care. After all I think deep down he really likes camp and will be lonely without it.

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

"No one wants to hear from you." Surprisingly Ares said.

**I wanted to punch him, **

"Please do." Clarisse said.

**but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**

"That's a bad deal." Hermes told Percy.

"I'm right there behind ya." I agreed.

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

"This doesn't sound good." Hades grimaced.

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

"How were we not?" Percy asked.

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money.**

"Like Tartarus he was." Luke laughed.

**That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel **

"Ohhhh! She went the full name rout." Nico laughed. "You can't arguing with anything she says when she uses your full name, it seems like anything you say will be dumb."

"It's her super mom power." joined in the laughter.

"That's why she doesn't know my full name." I grinned triumphantly.

"Suuuurrree." The two chorused

**won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

"Oh that sounds good." Apollo said. "I want some."

"You just ate." Artemis argued.

"But I'm a growing boy." Apollo shot back.

"You are over three-thousands years old, your done growing." Mean less to say that ended the conversation.

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

"There's such a thing as a clothes budget?" Aphrodite asked confused. Everyone looked at her oddly then shook her head. She was _defiantly_ Drew's mom.

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

"No, we take a trip to Long Island in it." Percy grinned.

**"We'll be very careful."**

"Sure….we were very careful." She laughed "Other people…or_ things_ just weren't."

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

"And maybe if I get Cerberus to play catch that living man with you-." Nico was interrupted by his father.

"Nico, I taught you how to make better threats then that." Hades chided. Percy was red face cracking up by what Nico said. Oh why did I have a feeling she knows something?

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

Soon everyone was laughing too. "Percy makes the better threat." Apollo grinned.

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad. Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought? "I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now." Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

"That man could be there till Kronos grew a heart." Annabeth laughed.

"But he did grow one." Percy said making me facepalm. "Or at least his host did, and he grew one for you." She smiled at Annabeth then glanced at Luke. "It's ok though, his all detitianated."

"Nico, shut her up, it's your turn." I said with a sigh.

"Sure," Nico smiled. "Percy don't make me get the super glue again."

"EP!" Percy squeaked and promptly shut up. See Nico and I found that super glue is thy only thing that keeps her lips together, keeping her from talking.

**"Yeah, whatever," he decided.**

**He went back to his game.**

"His oh so important game." Hermes mused.

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about...whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

"Sure you will." I laughed, Percy wouldn't be doing that, I knew her too well.

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

"Really?" Annabeth asked Percy "You caught that yet you didn't say anything?"

"Of course." Percy smiled. "I just didn't want to."

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

"You're an Idiot." Annabeth told Percy seriously.

"But at least I'm not Connor." Percy grinned.

"HEY!" Conner protest.

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

"Thank goodness that was done, I hate that Gabe." Poseidon growled. You know, his not fun to be around when his grumpy?

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

"That should be the least of his worries." Nico grins, and that worries me…he better not go out and do anything with out me.

**"Not a scratch on this car, Genius girl," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."**

"Well I listen to him." Percy smiled. "There wasn't one little scratch on the car."

"You mean the car made it?" Hephaestus asked hopefully. "Because the '78 Camaro was always one of my favorites."

"No, the car has a lot of big scratches and dents, there just aren't any little scratches like he said not to get. SO we didn't get any." That's it, for the girl to see that as logic she must be mental.

**Like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

"Can't you talk to seagulls?" I asked her. "There seabirds right? You would think you would be able to…"

"You know, I haven't tried, but the next time I see one I will ask if they can understand me. If they can I get a new friend If I can't well I will be sad." Percy answered.

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon.**

I looked at Percy who was looking everywhere but at people with a sort of lopsided grin on her face. Was she really that powerful? That gesture, it works very well…depending on how powerful you are anyways. (That's a lot of the reason demigods don't use it much)

"Good job Percy." Poseidon said complimenting his daughter, there was shock on his face too.

"Thanks." Percy smiled; I was a little envious that she got compliments and attention from her dad. Mine wouldn't even look at me.

**I knew it wasn't just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, and I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

"No wonder you were attacked by the Mino-," I stopped myself from saying the rest of the Minotaur name, I didn't want to spoil anything. "You were starting to realize who you were."

"Ya…but that just wouldn't be me for not attracting Horn Head; he has a personal hatred for me." Percy laughed putting her hands behind her head. It was true she has had more than one run in with that monster.

"Wow, you know you really have bad luck with monsters." Nico laughed. "It wasn't dead for more then what? Five years?"

"Ya…and I would expect it come claw its way out of Tartarus for a third time too." She laughed.

"Who is this you are talking about?" Poseidon asked a little white in the face.

"No one." Nico, Percy and I said at the same time, witch of cores let everyone know it was someone.

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it. **

"Ah, now that's a good get away." Hermes smiled.

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, **

Annabeth paled at the sound of spiders, it was a well known fact that she was terrified of them.

**and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in, though I swam anyways.**

"Of cores you did." Nico smiled at Percy. OH! I forgot, I need to start putting operation Perico into play. How could I forget?

**I loved the place.**

"I do too." Poseidon smiled.

"Definitely one of my favorite places in the world." Percy agreed. Then she stopped thought for a moment then added, "Underworld too." Did she really love the underworld so much she felt the needed to add that?

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.**

"It was." Poseidon said with a look on his face that I see Percy has when she looks at Nico when she thinks no one is looking, a look of love and longing.

**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea. Almost matching mine.**

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

"Seriously? What is up with the blue food!" Conner yells in frustration.

"Ya, you have to tell us!" Apollo agreed.

"Just hold your horses." Athena yelled. "It will get there."

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"Yes you really should." Hermes said crossing his arms.

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. **

"Ah, that makes sense." Annabeth smiled.

"I like a woman who is stubborn." Ares said.

"Stay away from her." Percy and Poseidon growled.

"Fine." Ares said.

**This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe.**

"**Good, I don't think she should be." Hera said.**

**She did have a rebellious streak, like me. **

I laughed at that. "You Percy? A rebellious streak? All you are is rebellious."

Percy hit me in the back of the head for that, but she was grinning, meaning she didn't take it offensively. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"I do, it's going to get you blown to bits." I smiled, She was about to hit me again when I got up and walked over and sat at the bottom of my dad's throne and sat down, leaving her with Nico.

I looked up and grinned at my dad. To my shock he smiled back.

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.**

"You know, she seems like a smart lady." Athena stated. "I think I may help her with that dream of hers."

"Thanks Lady Athena." Percy smiled. You know it always shocked me when she was polite to a god.

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father.**

"Oh gosh." Percy said going white face. "This conversation was horrible." I wonder what happened.

**Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

"I don't see how it's horrible; I would love to hear those stories from my mom." Nico said looking at Percy with a smile.

"Oh it's something I say that ruined this." I snorted when she said that, that girl has a knack or saying the wrong thing.

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

"You do." Poseidon said beaming with joy.

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud." **

Poseidon looked like he wanted to say something there but didn't. I bet he would save it till he had a moment alone with her.

**Nico's P.O.V~**

Percy was still grumbling about how much of an idiot she was. She made me want to laugh; she was cute when she was worked up about something. Since Thalia left to be by her dad I took it as my chance to slide closer to Percy.

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive girl with a D+ report card, kicked out of school**

"You know he is Percy." I smiled and elbowed her in the ribs.

"I know."

**for the sixth time in six years.**

"Wow…that even beets our record." Travis said.

"And it only goes up." Percy grinned. Was she proud of that?

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

This is probably where it went bad.

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

"That was one of my favorite summers." Poseidon mused.

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

Poseidon looked sad about that. I would be. I knew that just because my dad was around me growing up and as a baby (he would visit us just about every week) that most demigods didn't have that. I guess it would affect their parents as well.

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

"I visited you once before though." Poseidon told her.

"I know, I remember." Percy smiled.

"But you were a week old…" Poseidon said shocked.

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.**

"Wow…you do remember." Poseidon said. "That's very impressive. I'm glad you do."

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me ...**

"She didn't know." Poseidon said with a sigh.

**I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

"Can we please skip ahead?" Percy asked

"No." Everyone answered.

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

Now I could see where this is going…

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

**"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."**

"Percy, whatever you're about to say don't say it." Hera said.

"I wish I hadn't." Percy said grimacing.

**"Because you don't want me around?" I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

"You should." Hera said. "It is obvious your mother loves you."

"I know." Percy sighed. I gave her a comforting….or I hope it was comforting smile.

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

"I didn't really understand." Percy said. "I do know though."

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

"Gods, don't remember that!" Chiron said knowing his mistake that he made.

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

"And she said it." Conner said.

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away.**

"Is she thinking far enough away from Olympus?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes." Came Percy's short reply.

**I thought you'd finally be safe." "Safe from what?"**

"Monsters." All the demigods replied.

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

"Oh…these will be interesting." Thalia smirked

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Oh, yes that one was my fault." Poseidon laughed. "I sent him to watch you and report back how you were doing."

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

"You know, for someone who hates Hercules, you're an awful lot like him." Thalia said.

"I am not!" Percy screamed.

"What's wrong with Hercules?" Luke asked.

"A lot."

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

"You are the bringer of unsafe events." I laughed. She hit me for that one, but not hard.

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword.**

"Yes you should." Everyone said.  
"Gosh, you make one little mistake." Percy muttered.

**But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that. I wanted to spend more time here, with her.**

"Awww that's sweet." Hera smiled.

**I would tell her after we left, I decided.**

"It's going to be too late then huh?" Luke asked.

"Yup." Percy said popping the 'P'.

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

"She will get you killed that way." Dionysus said. Not looking up from his game he was playing.

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

"Well not exactly…" Poseidon said.

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

"Yes I wanted her to have you go to a camp from a young age." He said.

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before? "I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

"And that's the reason I'm not a year-round camper." Percy sighed. I patted her leg getting her know it was ok.

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

"You know it's a school in the fall time?" Chiron asked her.

"I know. I had to interrupt a maths test one day when I came to camp in the middle of November with some information you needed, though you weren't happy about my timing." Percy laughed. "And I got punished for it too."

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry. That night I had a vivid dream.**

"You have the strangest and worst dreams." I told her.

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill **

"Really? I wonder who that could be." My dad said looking at his brothers. "What are you two arguing about?"

**each other at the edge of the surf. The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, **

Now everyone looked at him, "Hey Poseidon's the earth shaker." He said simply.

**and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

"It's ok Uncial Hades, I love you." Percy smiled at him sweetly when everyone began to glare at my dad.

"Thank you." He said glaring back at his relatives.

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. **

"Wow, I just realized I should have figured out who I was dealing with a lot sooner." Percy said shaking her head.

**I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, No! I woke with a start.**

"That's a horrible ending for a dream." Apollo said. It truly was.

**Outside, it really was storming; the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses.**

"Wow, you know your daughters there right?" Hermes asked Poseidon.

**There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

"That doesn't sound good, but that dream was very accurate." Annabeth said thinking.

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

"Uh-oh." Travis said in unison with his brothers.

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten.**

"I guess I did forget." Poseidon chuckled.

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

"Oh no." Poseidon said. His happiness from the moment was gone and was left with worry.

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.**

"Who is insane enough to be out in that weather?" Aphrodite asked.

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

"Was that really smart?" Luke asked Athena.

"Maybe, it depends." She answered.

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"And what does that cryptic line mean?" Travis asked. Everyone ignored him.

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?" My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

"Oh a lot." Percy said.

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing. "O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"**

"What's behind him?" Poseidon asked. He was gripping his throne so tight I figured it might break.

"An old friend." Percy replayed grimly.

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...**

"Oh spit it out girl." Ares said. "What about his legs?"

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Percy. Tell me now!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

"Who wouldn't be worried about the daughter?" Apollo asked. You know I always forgot that he had children of his own.

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. Go!"**

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked. **

"Yes it does make sense huh?" Annabeth asked. "He shouldn't have ran."

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves**

"Dun Dun DUN!" Hermes and Apollo said. "I wonder what happens next." They mused.

"I'm off to camp." Percy grinned. Then her look turned sad, I didn't get that.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Just something that will happen in the next chapter." She said and put a smile on. It was fake, I knew that.

"It will be ok." I said giving her a quick hug hopping no one noticed.

Someone did…and they were glaring at me for it.

* * *

**A/N: Ok that's to finish up Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants chapter. Review or flam if you want. I love getting both!...I just don't like anonymous ones all that much, but only because I can't get back to those.**

**Love and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy!**


	7. Two over Protective People

**A/N: Ok guys here is the next chapter. Sorry it took a little longer than normal; I had to update my other story's. Thanks to all those who reviewed I always try to get back to those who do reply and if I didn't I'm sorry. So here goes**

**Oh ya, I wrote most of this right after I got two teeth pulled and was a little loopy from whatever medicine they gave me…so ya if it's crazy I'm sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Unless something wonderful happened to me that I didn't know about I still don't own the Percy Jackson world!**

* * *

**Nico's P.O.V!**

It would be just my luck that Lord Poseidon would have seen me hug Posy. He was just as protective now than he is in our time. I don't even want to think about the _little_ talk we had after the war. He never really scared me till then.

Athena had passed the book to Hera who for some reason was excited to read the chapter.

"**Chapter four, My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting."** The queen of the heavens read.

"Cool!" Conner and Travis said together making me roll my eyes at them.

"Percy can she teach us?" Travis asked.

"Sure, but I'm now better then she is though." She laughed. I smiled and shook my head at her.

"Fine will you teach us then?" Conner asked.

"Ya, but it will cost you a six pack." She grinned.

"DEAL!" The Stoll's agreed, and we started the chapter.

**We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the windshield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.**

"Oh I like the way she drives." Apollo laughed.

"Ya the same way Percy does." Thalia added. "It's downright tariffing, yet so amusing."

"Hey at least I didn't torch New England when I flew the sun chariot." Percy said.

"At least I didn't tie up the sun god to be able to drive it." Thalia smirked. "Apollo was mad at you for a while after that."

"I'm never playing truth or dare at camp again." Percy said facepalming. "I got the worst dares." Me and Thalia laughed at that

**Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane,**

"Wait! I was ever not insane?" Percy asked confusedly.

"You realize you just called yourself insane right?" Conner asked.

"Oh I know I'm not sane." Was her reply. It was true, but that's what made her Percy.

**or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.**

"How did you even think of that?" Luke asked her.

"A.D.H.D?" Percy tried not knowing if it was really her A.D.H.D to blame or not.

**But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

"You know you just said he smells?" Thalia asked.

"Only when his fur is wet." Percy grinned sheepishly.

"You know these book are going to get you hit a lot right?" I asked her.

"I Know." She sighed.

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom... know each other?"**

The room busted out in laughter. That was the only thing she thought to ask?

**Graver's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

"You know, he really does seem like a stalker." Thalia mused.

"I think we should worry." I grinned. "With all the new campers, who knows who the next victim will be of the stalking."

**"Watching me?"**

"He is a creeper at times." Percy laughed thinking about our friend. "But I still love him."

**"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I am your friend."**

"That doesn't really make it seem true." Luke said shaking his head at what Grover said.

**"Urn ... what are you, exactly?"**

**"That doesn't matter right now."**

"Yes." Percy said looking amused. I was glad she didn't look sad anymore. I wonder what that was about anyways. I was beginning to think she actually kept a lot more secrets from me then I realized.

**"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a **

"Don't go there!" All the demigods shouted.

**donkey—"**

We growned. "She went there." Annabeth said. "It was nice knowing you." She said looking sadly at Percy.

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!" I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat."Goat!" he cried.**

"Oh his mad." Someone snickered; I was sure who it was though.

"You have a knack for angering people, you know that?" Apollo said to Percy. "If I hadn't known better I would have said you were a child of Ares."

"EWW!" Percy said making a face. "I rather get run threw by a sword than be his daughter."

"Percy, you can't get run thru." I reminded her. "Well only in one place anyways." Then to prove my point I snaked my hand behind her and poked the small of her back. Her Achilles heal.

"Ouch!" She said jumping up making me laugh. She turned around with a look of furry in her eyes. "Don't do that again, and you're the reason I'm freaken invisible!" Her outburst really caught the attention of everyone.

"You bathed in the river Styx?" Annabeth asked shock.

"Oh….oops didn't mean to tell you that." Percy said giving a nervous laugh.

"And Percy I did it to save your life." I said, was she still angry that I pushed her in?

"Nico." Poseidon said looking at me. I thought he was going to vaporize me on the spot for it. "Thank you, I appreciate you looking out for her that way." He said smiling at me.

My head was whizzing. D-did he really just thank me? "You're welcome." I said a little shock. I looked at Percy who had this goofy look on her face, she was smiling like she didn't realized that she was and her eye were dancing in an emotion I couldn't place, a good one though. It's strange its one that I had never seen her use before, it was really cute, but then as soon as she noticed me looking at her it was gone.

She sat back down, and it might have been my imagination, but I swear she sat closer to me.

**"What?"**

No one comment, but I had a feeling everyone wanted to say "Idiot."

**"I'm a goat from the waist down."**

"Didn't he just say-." Conner never finished his thought thinking better of it. Good the kid _does_ have _some_ comment sense.

**"You just said it didn't matter."**

"I knew that's what he said!" Conner said jumping up on the couch doing the pose Ash does when he catches a Pokémon. That got everyone laughing. His such a moron.

**"Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"**

"Gah." Percy said shaking her head. "They will do that." Had she really got trampled by a sayter? I didn't question it, it would happen to her.

**"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like ... Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

"No he means like the Nordic ones." Athena snorted sarcastically.

"But there isn't sayters in Celtic Mythology." Percy said totally missing the point. "Even I know that much."

**"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

"From the view of mortals they are." Annabeth said. "Other wise no."

**"So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!"**

"Of cores there is." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

**"Of course." "Then why—"**

"Your just not going to drop it are you huh?" I asked already knowing her answer.

"Nico, its Percy, what the Hades do you expect?" Thalia said rolling her eyes.

"Not much." I answered.

"I'm _so_ loved, why would I _not_ want to hang out with such kind people?" Percy smiled sarcastically.

**"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

"Its kinda amazing that she found that out." Thalia teased.

"You know, who says I don't just play dumb?" Percy asked. I think she was now getting annoyed with us bashing on her.

After that comment Thalia must have understood to cool it for a while since she didn't comment.

**"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. The Greek gods were real.**

"Holly shit." Thalia said looking at Percy. "You really did already know. Even I had to be told the Greek gods were real.

"That is a good thing to know." Athena said. "It makes staying alive easier."

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail. Tell me it wasn't another monster like Mrs. Dodd.**

"Oh it probably isn't, there isn't many monsters as bad as Mrs. Dodd." Athena told Percy.

"Really? We have many worse than her." I said.

**"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."**

"Aww she worried." Hera smiled.

**"Safety from what? Who's after me?"**

"Zeus?" Thalia and I said. We never heard who was after her exactly. There were a few people I knew that.

"No, not this time." Percy said with a shrug and a smile.

**"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

I growled. "DAD!" I shouted at him furiously. Death radiated from me. I swear if he hurts her I will have a very very big argument with him ending with me taking his thrown.

"Sorry Nico, I haven't done it, yet and I didn't know you two were dating, I know that know though. I won't harm her." He said looking sheepishly.

I took a deep breath and looked at Percy. Her face was crimson…oh I see why…my father thinks were dating…

**"Grover!"**

**"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

"That car would have a hard time going faster." Hephaestus said.

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. And my imagination wasn't on the frits again. Only something this weird would happen to me.**

"Weird things do seem to happen to you often." Apollo concluded about Percy.

**My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.**

"You know the drive is really pretty?" Percy asked. "Oh and if you go when the leaves are falling, its like the whole world is bathed in orange and reds and yellow." She was grinning happily.

"You have an odd way of showing your knowledge." Athena said. "You hide it in witty comments or things that would seem childish, yet it's actually very complex."

"Thanks." Percy said.

**"Where are we going?" I asked.**

"The greatest place on earth." Conner said.

"Agreed." All the demigods said together making us laugh.

**"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

"Yes, get there, get there." Poseidon chanted.

**"The place you didn't want me to go."**

**"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."**

**"Because some old ladies with yarn."**

"They weren't just some old ladies." Zeus hummed.

**"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said.**

"No their my Grandmas!" Apollo and Hermes shout together with wicked smiles on their faces making everyone laugh. Those two were idiots.

**"Those were the Fates huh?" I asked. **

I looked at Percy in shock. How did she figure it out? "Percy, how the-," I started, but she just shook her head.

"My mom always read me the myths growing up. I remembered the main figures, but not many of the other things. I figured it out on the way to Montauk that day." She answered.

"Cleaver girl." Athena smiled.

**Grover nodded. "Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to ... when someone's about to die." But they didn't cut it I thought.**

"A foolish mistake." Ares growled.

"No it wasn't." Percy said. "It's what made me win the war." It was? How?

**"Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

"I'm _so_ going to die." Percy laughed.

"Hey, you shouldn't talk like that." Annabeth chided her.

"Well it's true." Percy said.

"No it isn't." I said looking at her with a look that said 'shut up, you're an idiot for thinking that.' She smiled at me after that.

**"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

"No he didn't." Travis said, I sighed. If this sparks an argument were never getting done with this.

**"You meant 'you.' As in me."**

"Don't say anything." Zeus said irritated when he saw Apollo, Hermes, Hermes kids, and Percy about to speak at the same time.

**"I meant you, like 'someone.' Not you, you."**

**"Kids!" my mom said.**

There were a few snickers and "go Percy's mom!", but other than then not many wanted to speak since Zeus said anything.

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

"Who was it?" Demeter asked.

**"What was that?" I asked.**

"Someone trying to kill you." Thalia said. "But isn't that normal for you?" She asked

"Ya." Percy answered.

**"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question. "Another mile. Please. Please. Please."**

"Oh mother Rhea please be alright, make it to camp." Poseidon said. I think he forgot that Percy was alive in this room.

**I didn't know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.**

"Awww your excited even if it's your first time." Thalia laughed. "That's so typical you."

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—**

I got a bad feeling now. I kept looking to make sure Posy was sitting safely next to me.

**the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really hadn't been human. She'd meant to kill me. Then I thought about Mr. Brunner ... and the sword he had thrown me. **

"Oh no, Oh no." I started to chant with Poseidon.

"Thalia, we need to start giving these two chill pills." Percy laughed.

"Oh I agree." Thalia said smirking. I hated when those two schemed together, nothing good (for me anyways) ever came out of it.

"Not funny you guys." I said.

"Shut up you sound like Grover." Was both of there replies.

**Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling boom!,**

On instanced I pulled Percy so close she was basically sitting on my lap…not that I was complaining one bit. I loved having her so close. She sighed, but didn't move away any. Maybe she did it to be nice knowing I was worried about her or maybe she liked being next to me too.

**and our car exploded.**

"Good by beautiful." Hephaestus said sadly.

**I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.**

I tightened my grip on Percy a little. She smelt of Pomegranates most likely from the shampoo she uses, it was light and sweet making me feel good, like everything will be fine. Since when did a smell become able to do that?

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

"Are you ok?" Poseidon asked her.

"Well considering it happened a while ago yes." Percy said.

**"Percy!" my mom shouted. "I'm okay... ."**

"See." Percy added seeing the look of disbelief on her dads face. "I was fine."

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. **

"Ah, that's always the best news." Travis said.

"Yes it is. It like a sign from the gods saying your meant to be awesome on earth and to keep pranking." Conner smiled.

"That's it you two have officially lost it." Thalia said shaking her head**.**

**The car hadn't really exploded.**

"Also good news." Travis added.

**We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in.**

"That is a sickening description." Apollo said. "I keep thinking that car and how it could have been one of their heads."

"APOLLO!" Artemis yelled "We didn't need to hear that." Quite a few people looked green from Apollo's comment.

**Lightning.**

Zeus straightened up at that word.

**That was the only explanation. **

"Or that dad is pissed off." Thalia said in a sing song voice.

"Oh?" I asked with a smirk. "Do you have a lot of experience with angering him? Because that is exactly how it sounds."

**Percy's P.O.V~**

I rolled my eyes at my cousins. "Children." I said knowing that on a technicality they were older than me (And those two always go by technicalities.). "We need to finish this book before were old and gray."

"IM OLDER THAN YOU!" They both yell at me.

**We'd been blasted right off the road. **

"Zeus." My father growled. "If you touch her-,"

"I know, I know." Zeus muttered cutting him off.

**Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

"Is he ok?" Annabeth asked worried about him.

"Ya…but he was real annoying." I laughed thinking how all he wanted was food.

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth.**

"That doesn't sound ok." Luke said.

"Ya Percy, your definition of Ok is 'oh hey his breathing, that means his great!' while most is 'we need to get that poor goat to the Apollo's cabin.'" Thalia said. "Just because you fight till you either win or you can't move doesn't mean that's everyone else."

I grumbled a "ya, ya." At her while rolling my eyes. My way of fighting is perfectly fine.

**I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die! **

"Well at lest you cared about him dying." Hermes said.

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

"Hope is always good." I smiled. "At least when its locked up in the urn and not released."

"Are you speaking of Pandora's urn?" Athena asked me.

"Its Percy's urn now." Thalia laughed. "And if she hasn't released it yet, I'd say we are still good."

"Wait you thought I would release it?" I asked incredibly. Thalia never answered my question, she just looked away. "Why am I cursed with you for a cousin?"

"Oh it's not a curse dear." Thalia smiled. "It's a blessing."

**"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road.**

"RUN!" Apollo yelled.

"No, everyone is just going to sit calmly where they are and everything will be peachy." I said with a smile.

"But you will-," Apollo stopped midsentence realizing something. "Oh…you were being sarcastic."

"And you were being stupid." Artemis said making me laugh.

**The sight of it made my skin crawl.**

My skin was crawling just by thinking about the Minotaur, no matter how much I kill it, it keeps coming back for me. I was glad Nico had pulled me close to him. It was comforting.

**It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head.**

"Oh ya that is so what it's doing" Nico laughed.

"You never know, he could have had a blanket over his head." I said. Everyone just gave me the "really? Are you just dumb or do you belong in a padded room with a straight jacket on?" look I ignored it though.

**His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.**

"Bulky, fuzzy, and has horns…It could be anything." Apollo says. "I want it to be a unicorn though! I love them there so cute and awesome." He said bouncing in his seat. His statement made me laugh at the shear stupidity of it

"You're an Idiot." Artemis said.

**I swallowed hard. "Who is—"**

**"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

"Well I would hope she was being serious." Hades said rolling his eyes. I was still a bit confused by the talk we had earlier and embarrassed that he said Nico and I were dating…I mean Nico will never see me as dating material were or I'm just his best friend, besides he has half of the girls at camp after him, why would he like me?

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.**

"Then it's best not to go that way." Hephaestus said. "Unless your fire proof or something along those lines."

"Not sure about fire, but I am lava proof!" I said.

**"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run.**

"Yes, run child run." My dad said. I was very shocked that he was actually really protective over me. It was a side I didn't get to see much of.

"Percy won't leave her mom and Grover behind though." Nico said already seeing where a majority of the trouble will come from. "It's not her."

"Ya." Thalia agreed. "She will die before that. She never leaves anyone behind."

I left Beckendorf on the ship to die. I let him die. "No, I-I left Beckendorf." I said softly. I still felt really bad about that, if it hadn't been for my stupid mistake of telling that other demigod to get off the ship, Charlie would still be alive and making the coolest things, he would still be with Salina as well I bet. She wouldn't have died either.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Nico whispered to me. "He chose to sacrifice himself." I smiled at him for that, he always knew what to say. I wish I had that talent. But Beckendorf was still my fault I knew it.

**Do you see that big tree?"**

**"What?"**

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree**

"Really? You compared me to a Christmas tree?" Thalia asked.

"Well…yes what else do would you compare it to? A daisy?" I asked.

**-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

Thalia just glared at me, and I swear I heard growling too.

**"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door." **

"Oh no." My cousins said together.

**"Mom, you're coming too."**

"Saw that one coming." Thalia said. "Well someone's either going to die or get hurt." She was joking about the last part…yet she didn't know she was right.

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.**

"**She's not able to." Chiron said sadly.**

"I didn't understand that though." I looked down hating how my mother ended up.

**"No!" I shouted. "You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

Gods, I thought. I was too stubborn for my own good.

**"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

"Is he going to keep doing that?" Hermes asked.

"Yes he will." I answered. "As I said annoying."

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he couldn't be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like horns ...**

"A Plus for you!" Thailia laughed. "You deserve a gold star."

"Great I want it after this chapter." I laughed along with her.

**"He doesn't want us," my mother told me. "He wants you. Besides, I can't cross the property line."**

**"But..."**

**"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover the goat, at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

"Most people get scared, but they don't get mad." Zeus said amused.

"Well Aries only has rage as an emotion." Hermes said with a smirk.

"That's beside the point." Zeus said rolling his eyes. "Aries is just a special case."

"Like Percy." Thalia put in.

"Exactly." Her dad agreed.

"Zeus don't mock my daughter." My dad glared at his brother.

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."**

"You really are a stubborn girl. You know that?" Athena asked.

"Trust me, I know." I sighed.

**"I told you—"**

"Just because you told her one thing, doesn't mean she will listen to it." Nico said.

**"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."**

"Is loyalty your fatal flaw?" Athena asked me.

"Yes." I answered shortly.

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.**

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. **

"Nice description." Travis laughed. "He sounds real cute."

"As if he was." I snorted.

**He wore no clothes except underwear—I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms**

"That would be something you noticed." Thalia said shaking her head at me. "Fruit of the Looms? Really?"

"Well Its easier to poke out the funny things then gap at the ridiculously sharp horns. I think he sharpens those things." I smiled making everyone laugh.

—**which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

"The freaken Minotaur?" My dad yelled standing up. He started pacing the room nervously. "Will she be ok? Oh I hope so."

"Poseidon." Zeus said "Go sit back down or we will never get through this dang book."

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—**

I shivered at the thought of them. I had nightmares of getting run thru with them. Nico looked at me and smiled tightening his grip around me ever so slightly.

**enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

Thalia face palmed. "A sharpener? That's how you think they get so sharp and pointy?"

"At the time yes." I answered.

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us.**

"Good, always know your enemy." Athena said.

**Why did he have to come after me of all people?**

"It's because your you." Nico said.

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

**"Pasiphae's son," my mother said. **

"Poseidon, how did you get a smart woman like that to like you?" Athena asked my dad making me laugh. "She is way beyond your league."

"Hey, I have plenty of good qualities, and she is not." My dad said trying to defend himself.

**"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

"Ya you really should have told her." Annabeth chided me.

**"But he's the Min—" "Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

"You know I still don't understand that." I said truthfully.

"If you don't get it, you never will." Thalia said shaking her head.

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

"That's far?" Conner asked.

"When you have an angry monster on your butt it is." I smiled.

**I glanced behind me again.**

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

"His basically blind." Annabeth said.

"Ya I know."

**"Food?" Grover moaned.**

"Okay….he is really annoying." Luke said laughing.

**"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

**"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."**

"And when he does you best be ready." Hera said.

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.**

Everyone laughed. "I see what you mean now by no just one little scratch." Zeus gasping for air…Witch that was kinda funny considering it's his domain.

**Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.**

"Oh well." The Stolls chorused.

**Oops.**

"Oops was the understatement of the year dear." Hera said smiling. She was acting rather odd today if you ask me.

**"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"**

"So that's what the chapter title meant!" Conner said. "Wow Percy your mom is so butt kicking."

"You should have seen her a few days ago." I smiled thinking of how she went commando and started fighting off the monsters.

"Percy your mom is just epic." Nico laughed next to me.

**"How do you know all this?"**

"That's what I would like to know." Annabeth said.

**"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."**

"She was." Dionysus grunted.

"I don't care, I'm glad she was." I glared murderously at Mr. D.

**"Keeping me near you? But—"**

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

Nico breathing seemed to pick up; he was worried I could tell.

**He'd smelled us.**

"Fu-." My dad started to say

"Poseidon there are children here!" Athena screamed at him drowning out what else he was going to say.

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter. The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.**

"Good, my tree is the boundary line, get across that and you're good." Thalia said.

"AWWW you really do care about me!" I smiled happily as she rolled her eyes.

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."**

"That's a good mother." Hera said. Again…way to friendly of her…she is creeping me out.

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.**

"Oh lovely." Aphrodite said speaking for the first time in a while. "You know monsters hate the smell of Chanel no. 5?"

"Ya your kids have mentioned it before."

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

I could hear Nico gasp from next to me. He looked over and asked. "They didn't touch you right?" I shook my head no and he relaxed a little.

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing. So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.**

"Oh gods." My dad said closing his eyes tightly like that would help any.

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.**

I fallowed my dad's example and closed my eyes tightly knowing what was about to happen.

**We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.**

"No, no, no." Poseidon chanted again.

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

**"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

"Oh I hope she will be ok." Annabeth said.

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.**

I felt like my breath was knocked out of me. I felt like I couldn't breathe at all.

**"Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

I burred my head into Nico's shoulder, hopping he didn't mind.

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply ... gone.**

I could feel every one's eyes on me.

I sat up after a few more seconds and sighed. "That is one of the worst memories I have." I whispered, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that everyone heard.

"I'm sorry Percy." Luke said looking very sympathetic at me. They all thought she died…well Nico and Thalia looked confuse seeing as how my mom was still alive.

"It's ok, she was just taken captive. She isn't dead." I said trying to smile, trying to make it seem ok.

"But how?" Annabeth asked.

"Hades." My father growled.

"Hmm…I do have the power to do that, I won't deny it." My Uncle said. "I'm just not sure why I would want to do that."

**"No!" Anger replaced my fear. Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.**

"Good time for the butt whooping Percy to come out!" Thalia cheered.

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.**

"That's not going to make her happy, you idiot. " Nico said grinning for some reason.

**I couldn't allow that.**

"See?" Nico said proving his point.

"Ya but here comes her stupid idea I bet." Thalia said.

**I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

"See?" Thalia said proving her point. "Wait weren't you just told he was basically blind?" She question.

"Ya…but his half bull…you have to wave something red." I grinned.

"Because that makes so much sense." Annabeth joined in rolling her eyes.

**"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"**

Everyone laughed "You have some funny indults you know that Perc?" Hermes asked.

"So I've been told."

**"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

Everyone was laughing harder now picturing his meaty fist being waved around in the air.

**I had an idea—a stupid idea,**

"Are your ideas anything but stupid?" Nico asked.

"No there also dangerous." I smiled not helping my case.

**but better than no idea at all. I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment. But it didn't happen like that.**

"It never does." I sighed.

My dad looked at me worried as if thinking of how I possibly could still be alive.

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

Nico pulled me onto his lap and put his arms protectively around my waist. His chin was resting on my right shoulder; I could feel his breath on my cheek. I was shocked at his move, but I wanted to giggle, or smile, or squeak, I wanted to act like a total Aphrodite girl just for having him so close.

**Time slowed down.**

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

"How did you do that?" Travis asked me in shock.

"I was a gymnast for a long time." I said simply. I ignored the glare my father was giving Nico and leaned a little more not him.

"You have good skills." Aries to my surprised complemented.

"Thanks?" I said a bit confused.

**How did I do that? I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

"I remember that." Thalia said. "It hurt too."

"Wow you remember things from your time as a tree." I said amazed.

"Some." She admitted.

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes.**

"Wow someone is _really_ not happy." Apollo said.

"Way to state the obvious genius." Artemis said.

**The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

"Nice description." Athena said approvingly. Wow…a complement from her and Aries on the same day….I must have done something good.

**The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.**

"No shit Sherlock." Thalia said rolling her eyes. "Was it that hard to figure out?"

**Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off. "Food!" Grover moaned.**

"We should teach him a new word to say." The Stoles said getting this mischievous gleam in their eyes.

"Oh I so want in on that." I grinned.

"You're cruel Posy." Nico said chuckling.

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might. The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—snap! **

Everyone looked at me wide eye. "That's how you got it!" Thalia said. "I always wondered how you got that horn."

"Ya me too….I just can't believe you broke it off with your bare hands." Nico said.

"Its quite a feat." Hermes mused.

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass.**

"Oooh" A few people hissed.

**My head smacked against a rock. **

Nico tightened his grip on me again. If he wasn't being so sweet I would ask if he knew I was still here.

**When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

"I love Spoils of war." Clarisse mussed.

**The monster charged.**

**Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.**

"Wow…" Apollo said looking at me in amazement with the demigods.

"Man I wish I could have fraught him." Luke admitted.

**The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodds had burst apart.**

"Good his gone." My dad said with a sigh.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt much Posy." Nico whispered into my ear.

"Don't call me that." I said angrily, but I think I was starting to liked it.

**The monster was gone.**

**The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish. I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farmhouse. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

"That's so sweet!" Aphrodite said. "You're a good friend."

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's. I wanted that hair. **

"Annabeth your hair is still really pretty." I said smiling at her.

"You have curly hair too though Percy." Thalia said.

"Ya but when I was younger I really wanted blond hair for some reason." I said.

"I like you with black hair though." Nico said. "I don't want you dying it either."

"Ok." I smiled blushing a little bit.

**They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "She's the one. She must be."**

"That's not cryptic at all Annabeth." Luke laughed.

**"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "She's still conscious. Bring her inside."**

"That was an interesting chapter." Hermes mused.

"Yes it was, now will you please let go of my daughter?" My father asked Nico with a glare that rivaled Hades.

My face was so red I basically jumped out of Nico's arms and halfway across my room. I wasn't very happy about it, but I was supper embarrassed that my dad said anything. Thalia. Oh sweet sweet Thalia laughed at us. I think Nico was embarrassed too because he was also blushing like crazy.

"Well I hate to spoile the fun." Chiron said. "But it's nearly three-o'clock. We must be taking out leave." All the demigods groaned. "We have a train to catch. So Campers, will you please make your goodbyes?" He asked.

Wait…what were Thalia, Nico, and I suppose to do?

* * *

**A/N: Done! Okay what did you think? Yes the campers are leaving, but fear not they may return! Maybe…I'm not sure. Anyways Review or Flame if you want.**

**Hugs and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy.**


	8. So close

**A/N: I've got a few reviews say they didn't want the campers to leave; sadly yes I'm still having them leave. Don't worry they may return later on. I just got bored with them.**

**Disclaimer: T^T U sadly don't own.**

* * *

**Percy's P.O.V~**

"Do we have to leave?" Conner asked in a whiny tone.

"Yes, we need to get back to the camp." Chiron said, but you could see that he didn't even want to go.

"And there isn't any way to make it so we could stay here?" Travis pleaded.

"I'm afraid not." Chiron said then turned his attention to the gods and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for allowing us to come."

Zeus nodded. "It was a pleasure; my family always enjoys seeing their kids when they can." I laughed at that, he means to say when he allows them to see their kids.

The others started to say good bye to their parents, while I made my way to Thalia who was still sitting by her dads thrown. "Err…what do we do?" I asked.

Thalia pursed her lips. "You know I'm not entirely sure…do we go with the campers?"

"I think it would be best if you three actually stayed here." My head snapped up to see Zeus in human form (or is it human size?) standing in fount of us. "We have a guess house that you three could stay in. It's hardly ever used and this series can't be finished in a day." Was he actually being nice? I figured it also had to do with Thalia.

"Thank you Lord Zeus." Nico said standing next to me. I hadn't notice him come up. Zeus nodded and walked away to speak to my dad and Uncle Hades.

"I didn't know the gods could get along." I said noticing how there wasn't fighting going on.

"It's because you here by us and not around them." Nico said laughing.

"I'm not the cause of every argument." I said crossing my arms.

"Oh no, you just help the arguments get started." Thalia joined in laughing with Nico.

"Whatever." I said walking away. "I'm going to say good bye to Chiron."

I got nearly halfway to my mentor when something heavy fell on me. When I say heavy I'm not talking another box of books, I'm talking something over a hundred pounds. Meanness to say I was on the ground fast. I'm actually glad for my dip in Styx; it's keeping me alive more now than it did during the war.

"Hey you guys ok?" I heard someone say, it sounded like Apollo.

"Mmhpf." I groaned. The weight was now on top of me. I had a feeling it was a person.

"Ya I'm good." A guy voice said, "You love?"

"Ummm…" Another voice replied, but this time female "I think were sitting on someone." Was her reply…wait I knew those voices.

"Oh that's just Percy." Nico said laughing again.

"Oh then we had perfect aim." The guy laughed getting off me along with his girlfriend.

"That isn't nice Luke." Ha! I knew it! I knew it was Luke and Annabeth.

"I knew there was a reason we're friends." I stood up grinning at the blond. "You're the only one who's nice to me when the others gang up on me."

"Well you are an easy target." Thalia chimed in. I turned around to see everyone looking at us yet again.

"Wow were identical." Luke and Past Luke said at the same time when they saw each other. I looked at them both and they looked the exact same except for the fact that Past Luke had jeans and a T-shirt whiles the Luke from my time (wow this is getting kinda confusing trying to keep up with the different Lukes) was in khaki shirts and camp T-shirt.

"That's because you're the same person." Both Annabeths said. At least between them there was an age different unlike the Lukes.

"Wait if you're me from the feature why do you still look seventeen?" Past Luke asked. "Shouldn't you be like Twenty two?"

"Oh well." Luke said rubbing the back of his neck. This was a touchy subject for him I knew. "I or we got possessed by someone when we were seventeen, so when ah…Percy got rid of that person I aged back to before I was ah…taken over." **(A/N: Sorry if you're confused I'll explain better later) **He didn't lie, but he never went into specifics either.

I had a remember when I stabbed Luke with the cursed blade, we all thought he would die, he even made a farewell to us…then right before he took his last breath he started aging backwards. It made Annabeth very happy because now they were the same age…unless you're counting technicalities again.

Past Luke went white as a sheet knowing who he was speaking of. "Oh my gods." He whispered.

"It's ok it all works out in the end." Luke said with a grin. "We just cause a lot of trouble. And we have good friends that will still stand by us even if we're not always on the same side; also we have a gorgeous girl that won't let us forget who we really are." He took Annabeth's hand when he said that and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. I envied their relationship. They seemed so perfect and so filled with love all the time.

"Aww that's so cute!" Aphrodite squeaked. "I have always wanted to get you two together, but the age gap was _sooooo_ big I couldn't figure out how to make it work."

"Wait you mean _I _end up with Luke?" Past Annabeth said in awe blushing wildly.

"Yes, yes we do." Annabeth said smiling at her boyfriend.

"I think it's more along the lines of _I'm_ the one who is ending up with the better person." Luke said correcting past Annabeth.

"Wait how did you two get here?" Thalia asked. Oh ya…that was a good question.

"Well we couldn't find you guys anywhere and then Hermes and Apollo showed up during lunch tell us that they sent you back in time." Annabeth answered.

"Ok…but why are you two here then?" I asked not seeing how that made them go back in time.

"Well, Annabeth threatened them to peel back every layer of skin they had then redo it if they didn't bring you guys back." Luke said shaking his head. "I'm pretty sure dad and Apollo didn't were scared so when I went up to calm her down they figure it was best to send us along for a while. Just to show you guys were ok." Luke said. "I'm not sure if were staring the whole time. We could poof in and out every few chapters from what they said."

I nodded, thinking the gods could find this annoying.

"You know Annabeth." Nico said with a deadly smirk. "Threatening gods is Percy's thing, I think you spending a little too much time with her."

I punched him in the arm for saying that, but did so smiling like a wolf. "And I'm so proud of her for that too."

We all talked a few little longer, while the gods listened seaming to like watching their kids interacted with other kids, before Chiron said they really had to go. We (the further demigods and I) walked them to the elevator.

"You guys will come back and read with you if you're able right?" I asked Chiron as they walked into the elevator.

"I'll see." He smiled as the doors closed.

"It's just the five of us and the gods now." I said with a small smile. "This could be troublesome."

"You bring the trouble!" They all yelled at me.

"He that's not always true." I tried to defend myself as we started walking back.

The all gave me that 'that's a joke.' Stare.

"Name one time." Nico said.

"Ummm…Oh! I didn't get Annabeth in to that debacle in the sea of monsters! It was Grover who got his fury hind quarters captured." I said thinking of my second quest.

"Ya it was Goat Boys fault." Annabeth said.

"Hey Percy." Nico said with a small smile. Uh oh…this would either be really good or really bad. "Before we go back, can we talk for a sec?" He asked me before adding "Alone."

**Nico's P.O.V~**

I was really nervous. I was finally going to tell her how I feel and to ask her to be my girlfriend. She just had to say yes to us talking in privet first.

"Sure." She smiled her. Her eyes were filled with questions probably wondering what I wanted to speak to her about.

I glanced over to Luke who gave me a reassuring nod.

I was about to lead her away when Hermes appeared next to us. "Sorry kids your talk will have to wait. Zeus says he wants to finish two more chapters before dinner tonight and sent me to get you all so we could restart."

I let a growl out. Hermes threw me an apologetic smile and led us the rest of the way back to the throne room.

I couldn't believe I wasn't given the chance to ask. I was _so freaken close too._

Once we were all settled again, with the gods on their thrones, Luke and Annabeth curled up together (I really hated how they could do that) on the couch to our right, while Thalia decided she needed a whole couch to herself as she laid on the on to our left, leaving me and Posy on opposite ends of the couch in the middle. Percy remembered something. "Thalia, you never gave me my gold star."

I laughed; Percy loved her gold stars and would not leave you alone unless you actually gave it to her.

"Huh?" Thalia said. "Oh ya I guess I did. I'll give it to you later."

"You will forget later." Percy said sounding childish.

"Really?" Apollo asked looking at her oddly. "You are seriously making her give you a gold star?"

"It's not just a gold stare." Percy said rolling her beautiful green eyes. "It's a gold star sticker. It's a very serious matter."

"Fine here." Thalia sighed as she pulled a little booklets of gold star stickers out of her pocket and giving it to her.

"Yay!" Percy cheered as she put the sticker on her forehead.

"How old is she?" Hephaestus asked trying not to laugh.

"It's easier to give her a sticker for doing something good or to get her away from you then dealing with her otherwise." Annabeth explain. "I'm not sure what she does with all the stickers she gets, but we know she does something with them."

Percy, she was cute, funny, smart on occasion, and a total kick ass. She was amazing. Iv always had the feeling that she acts so young and childish because it helps her not think of everything she has done. I know she blames herself on a lot of things. I hate it too, but she wouldn't be the girl I fell in love with if she wasn't.

* * *

**A/N: Ok so this chapter is full of fluff and I just wrote it because I had the campers leaving and Luke and Annabeth showing up. Also about the gold stars I ****had someone review and tell me I forgot to give it to Percy and I agreed that Percy needed her star. Anyway Luke is seventeen again in this story, and sorry if you hate me for it, it will explain a little bit more about that later. Review and Flames if you wish I hoped you like and next chapter will be out shortly.**

**Hugs and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy.**


	9. Digging Myself a Grave

**A/N: Sorry! Sorry I'm so so SO Sorry for the delay! I had a lot going on the last few weeks. Anyways I have exams coming up and right now because I have the Physic teacher from hell (no joke) she is making me fail the class and refuses to answer question. So I'm three units behind in physics and about 7 AP art projects behind too….So I may not be updating a lot until after exams or exam week since we get out at 10:30 that week. So sorry I'f I don't post that's why, but don't worry I won't quit this story!**

**Oh and sorry I did not reply to all reviews like I normally do because I was so busy so sorry for that to. Anyways onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I sadly still do not own this series. (Goes off and cries in emo corner)**

* * *

**Nico P.O.V~**

Once Percy was happily content with her gold star that stuck to her forehead she grabbed the book and flipped to the correct page.

"Wait." I said interrupting her before she could start talking. "Are you going to throw the book at someone again?" I asked.

"Uhhh…." Percy replied then smiled sheepishly. "No? Not unless I feel the need to." I sighed and took the book from her hand.

"I will read." I said. "Chapter five, **I play pinochle with a horse.**"

"Percy are you speaking of Chiron?" Thalia asked her with a smirk.

"Ya I think so." Percy said looking like she was trying to remember that day.

"He's going to be so angry when we tell him you called him that." I smirked.

"Ya I'm just going to get myself killed with my thoughts." She sighed. The sad part was…she very well could.

**I had weird dreams**

"You always have strange dreams, why is this new?" Thalia asked.

Percy shrugged "Ya I know I always have weird dreams and they all suck too."

**full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. **

"That really surprises you?" I asked, "I thought everyone either wants to kill you or have already tried to kill you."

"Even your dad almost blew you up." Annabeth said smirking.

"I-I did?" Poseidon said looking sad about it like he already regretted it when it hadn't even happen yet.

Percy nodded "It was just because I needed your attention and did something stupid for it."

"It was the most idiotic thing you could ever do." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

"Except for taking the fates scissors." Thalia corrected.

"What?" Annabeth and Luke said together looking confused.

We filled them in to what they missed real fast.

"Great now that there caught up, we can keep going." Dionysus said rolling his eyes. "I want to see the painful stuff that happens to her."

We all rolled our eyes at him knowing his hate for demigods. I found it a good time to continue reading.

**The rest wanted food.**

"I blame Grover for that one." Percy said glaring at the book as if it would make it hurt Grover or something.

**I must've woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense,**

"Percy can you make sense of anything?" Luke asked. "I mean someone always has to tell you things."

"She is smarter then she looks or acts Luke." I defended Percy I was pretty much growling at the guy too. I was still not totally okay with the guy, I more or less tolerated him, but I would not stand for him making fun of my girl.

"Let's just move on." Annabeth said before Luke could reply and probably start a fight.

**so I just passed out again. **

"Well that one way to deal with things." Artemis laughed. "That's how Apollo deals with it too."

"I do not!" Her twin yelled.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure you don't." Was her simple remark.

**I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

"You know I can't believe you thought I would have known." Percy said shaking her head.

"That's like expecting Zeus and Poseidon to see eye to eye on who's more powerful." Thalia laughed.

"Right because we all know its Hades." I smirked. Thalia and Percy both threw pillows at me and I found it a good time to back out and let them duke it out…then I would go and claim my head and I were then best when they weren't going to throw things at me.

"And I'm a guy." Percy said rolling her eyes. "You might get a brain and relies that Poseidon is the best and most powerful."

"I agree." Her dad said grinning.

"Brother I now know why Athena says all you have is water up in your head." Zeus said.

"It's better than being an airhead." Poseidon snorted. Oh man is this getting good!

"Boys!" The queen of the heavens yelled. "Settle down lets continue or you will be dealing with me afterwards."

That slight hint of a threat shut the two rights up. I wasn't sure what Hera was going to do to them but I wasn't ready to find out. So I continued reading.**  
**

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would overhear. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

"What was stolen?" Hermes asked perking up. "Was it something good? The Mona Lisa? The Rosetta stone?" Trust the god of thieves to like that part.

"Uh….Lets say it shouldn't have been taken." Luke answered his dad while fidgeting in his seat. He still felt bad for what Kronos made him do, but I didn't care, it's still his fault that so many things happen. Annabeth took his hand trying to calm him a bit. The guy didn't deserve her.

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..."**

"Of cores you don't." Thalia and I laughed picking on her again.

**Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

"Well that's one way of shutting her up." Apollo smiled.

"I bet Nico has some other ways to shut her up though." Thalia said looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

I blushed a bit, thinking of how I kissed Posy before she went and blew up Mt. Saint Helen. I knew I shouldn't have told her that."Shut up." I said. I glanced at Percy seeing her reaction, but she was curntly leaning over talking to Annabeth oblivious to what Thalia and I was talking about.

**The next time I woke up, the girl was gone. A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes— at least a dozen of them—on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"I thought I was going to end up in the mental hospital for that." Percy admitted.

"You probably will end up there sooner or later seaweed brain." Annabeth said.

"But someone with a thousand eyes would be weird to see if your going in and out of consciousness." Percy said defending herself. "You would probably think you were going mental."

"You're already there." Thalia laughed.

**I figured I made that one up.**

"Sure you did." Athena said rolling her eyes at Percy. "Where is all your smarts when you might actually need them?" She asked her.

"Well they often like to vacation in Fiji." Percy grinned not helping her case.

**Percy's P.O.V**

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings,**

"AHHH!" The demigods yelled around me making me not want to hear what's going to happen next.

"Gah." Hephaestus said jumping up. "What's going on? Who's yelling? Please tell me my dream of Ares getting his butt handed to him was true."

That made everyone look at him and me laugh. I hadn't even relies he had been asleep…when _had _he fallen asleep?

"Sadly no." I said a little disappointed that Ares wasn't getting beaten up.

"So why was everyone yelling?" He asked again.

Nico grinned up at the god. "Oh it's just that Percy had a normal thing which is impossible." _That brat!_ I thought. The god nodded a bit confusedly and sat down again so we could start.

**except that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. **

"I suppose you have experience with that huh?" Luke asked.

"No but you made me have a horrific experience with a scorpion if I recall." I said glaring him. "Witch I thought was totally unnecessary by the way." Luke smiled sheepishly at that.

**My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.**

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.**

"What would happen if you spilt Ambrosha?" I asked.

"Put it this way, you will not be the same as before you dropped it." Athena answered witch just made me even more curious.

"Careful," a familiar voice said.

**Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops**

"He has his fake feet on again?" Thalia asked surprised. "Why I mean you already knew…"

**and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, Not the goat boy.**

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. And ... I was really not fooling myself.**

"No you weren't." Hermes laughed.

"I think I would have been worried if you were fooled." Apollo agreed.

"But Percy would have been the one to fall for it though." Annabeth grinned.

"Would not." I said sticking my tong out at her.

"You saved my life," Grover said.

"Right because if she isn't getting us almost killed she is saving our lives." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

"I don't see any issues with that." I shrugged.

"We do!" My friends yelled.

**"I... well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this."**

**Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

**Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood.**

"The horn." Ares said.

"No Ship." My dad said.

**It hadn't been a nightmare. Should have known.**

"You really should have." Nico whispered to me. His breath hit my neck making my skin crawl.

**"The Minotaur," I said**.

"I think we established this already." Thalia mused.

"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"

"Like that's stopped her before?" Luke asked.

"You know Percy your friend's talk very poorly of you." My dad said. "Why don't you hang out with nicer people? I mean I could introduce you to some very fine young men."

My mouth dropped. Was he trying to set me up with someone? Oh gosh this is humiliating. "I-I think I'm good." My oh so nice friends laughed proving his point that I needed nicer friends.

"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."

Annabeth looked at me strangely. "You're just asking for him to come kill you."

"I wouldn't mind a nice fight actually." I grinned. I was starting to feel antsy from sitting too long.

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"**

**"My mom. Is she really ..."**

"I'm sorry Persephone dear." My father said giving me a sympathetic smile.

I shrugged making it seem like it didn't bother me much, "She still alive." I said if only for reassurance for myself.

**He looked down.**

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.**

"I love the sunlight." Demeter smiled. Trust the goddess of the harvest to live the sunlight….stupid cerial freek.

**My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful.**

"It's always on the most beautiful days at people we care about are lost." I said. "The fates are just cruel and twisted that way." Everyone looked at me in shock for having said something bad about the fates. The fates never took kindly to things like that but they could strike me down now for all I care. I spoke the truth.

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure.**

"Yes he is." Zeus said. "He let my child almost die."

"Yet he saved two others." Thalia said. "As well as found every child of the big three, I think that makes him the best satyr."

"Agreed." I smiled thinking of one of my best friends.

**I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."**

"He has about as much self confidence as Percy." Nico laughed.

"I have a lot of self….You know that may be a true statement." I said.

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off.**

"Oops." Hermes snickered.

**I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky.**

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it. Grover was a satyr.**

"No Shit." Ares said. Hera leaned over and slapped him upside the head. "Don't swear in front of kids." She chided.

Everyone laughed at that.

**I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair,**

"DO IT!" Hermes and Apollo said at the same time.

I smiled. "Only if you help protect me from being trampled to death."

The two looked at each other and nodded. "Fine by us."

"You two are only encouraging her!" Artemis yelled at her brothers.

"So?" I along with Apollo and Hermes asked.

**Thalia's P.O.V~**

Percy is a complete idiot. Who the Hades would mess with Grover and his hair? He chanles his inner Mr. D when anyone so much as told him something bad about it. She would be in some deep crap if she shaved it even with some godly help…Hmmm….But it would be very, _very _interesting to watch though. I wonder if I could talk Hephaestus in to putting it on Hephaestus T.V. I probably could.

Ah! Wait there starting the story again I need to focus.

**I'd find tiny horns on his head. But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed,**

"So you didn't care that your best friend was alive?" I smirked.

"I didn't mean that exactly…" Percy said. "I love Grover, I don't know how life would have been like without him."

"No no, you already said it; you can't take it back now." Annabeth said looking at me.

"Technically I thought it." Percy corrected.

"It's the same thing." I argued. "I for one hope you didn't think anything like that for me, for your sake that is, or I'll kick your butt." She paled a little at my threat. Oh this would be good to see what happens when I come into the story.

**or even minotaurs.**

"See I just didn't care in general." Percy said triumphantly.

I saw Luke roll his eyes. "That just makes it _so _much better."

**All that meant was my mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light. **

"Yup she did." I said truthfully and got a pillow thrown at my head for it too. "Hey! We were all thinking it."

"Doesn't mean you have to say it." Nico said shaking his head. "Have at least a little tack Pinecone face."

"Whatever Death Breath."

**I was alone.**

"You are never alone." Nico grinned at Percy. The other demigods nodded in agreement. Gosh how cheesy is that?

**An orphan.**

Poseidon didn't seem to like that statement.

**I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe? **

"Over my dead body!" Her dad roared. "To Tartarus with that, you will come live with me." Quite a few gods looked at him in shock.

"Poseidon, demigods-," My dad started.

"I don't care, we have never fallowed any rules we ever make anyways." My mouth dropped at the sea's god comment.

No one other god said anything else on the topic, but Percy just grinned at her dad and said "Thanks, that means a lot." She was lucky.

**No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. **

"It's not fun." Annabeth, Luke, Nico and I said together.

**I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. **

Annabeth snorted, "You couldn't have passed for seventeen back then Percy. You could have barely gotten away with fourteen."

**I'd find my dad maybe his alive and just couldn't come back because he got in a nasty shipwreck and lost his memories, and I would be the one to help his remember and I could live with him. **

"I didn't forget you Percy." Poseidon said to her. I had to admit I was jealous of Percy's family.

"I know." She said blushing.

**I'd do something.**

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid—poor goat, satyr, whatever—**

"You couldn't figure out what to call him could you?" Apollo laughed.

"If you do, please tell me of smart one." Percy smirked rolling her eyes making me laugh.

**looked as if he expected to be hit.**

**I said, "It wasn't your fault."**

**"Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you."**

**"Did my mother ask you to protect me?" "No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

"He's really a downer sometimes huh?" Aphrodite asked.

"At time." Annabeth sighed.

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

Percy smiled widely and began to sing "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, just kee-," Nico thankfully cut her off by putting his hand over her mouth.

"Was that really nesisary to sing?" I asked her.

"Mmmhuh." She said shaking her head while glaring at Nico for still having his hand over her mouth.

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. It wasn't that at all. It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies—my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting.**

My mouth was watering thinking of Mrs. Sally's cookies.

"I want some!" Hermes yelled.

"Percy you are so lucky to have them." Apollo said.

"My mom makes the best cookies." She grinned.

**Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. **

"You've gotta love nectar." Apollo laughed.

"Shut up and quit interrupting." Artemis yelled.

**My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay. Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

"**Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Homemade."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table.**

**"Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.**

"I feel like it was designed that way so they could keep an eye on the campers." Percy muttered though everyone heard her.

"Oh it was." Dionysus grinned quite evilly I may add.

"Pedo." I heard Hermes snicker quietly.

**My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

"Good hold your head up high." Ares said, always giving words of wisdom huh? Too bad half the time there bad.

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—**

"Uh…it is Greek architecture." Aphrodity said then looked around at everyone else. "Right?"

I raised my eyebrows she kidding right?

"Yes honey." Hephaestus and Aries said together. Oops. The sent glares at each other making me how there would be a godly smack down.

**an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena—except that they all looked brand new,**

What and she expected us (or at least other demigods) to live among ruins? I don't think so.

**their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, **

"Now Percy what have we told you about hallucinating?" Nico asked with a lopsided grin.

"To always expect it." She rolled her eyes and playfully hit his shoulder.

**some of their horses had wings.**

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond-haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.**

**The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels— what do you call them, hubbubs?**

"Hobos?" Hades asked.

"Na the hobo in this room is Apollo, I'm talking about something else." I couldn't help but to laugh at what Percy said, however Apollo was turning red with anger.

"Oh cores. What was I thinking?" Hades said…wow he was actually grinning too.

**No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my stepfather.**

Everyone laughed how she described Mr. D. "Excuse me?" He growled.

"Oh by all means you're excused." The girl was cruisin for a bursen today.

"Just where do you think you can go around mouthing off to the gods girl?" Mr. D yelled at Percy. His purple eyes lit with purple fire.

"I think it just runs in the family." She said sweetly.

He stood up. He looked ready to pounce. "That's it!" Dad yelled. "Break it up! Both of you calm it or _else_." I'm not sure I wanted to find what '_or else'_ was.

"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper,

"Oh that makes me feel _so _special." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

**but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron... ."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

"Not quite." Athena said.

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers B.**

"I love when he does that!" Nico said grinning.

"That's because it the only time you can get a decent grade." Percy laughed. Ouch.

"That was in normal school. I make better grades at camp." Nico said sticking out his tong at her. _Children._ I thought rolling my eyes. "And are you ever going to let that down?"

"No." She said sweetly.

"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

"Yes I do." My dad glared at Mr. D…witch I guess that would make us…brother and sister. I got a cold chill run down my spine from that thought. A bad thought it was.

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice.**

"Were you?" Our dad (I still hate that thought) said very angerly. I felt bad for Mr. D…even if he was a royal pain, he just couldn't get a brake today.

"Of cores I hadn't." Said Mr. D looking offended.

**If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl. She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."**

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller, and a whole lot more athletic looking. With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image.**

"Is there something wrong with my eyes seaweed brain?" Annabeth growled.

"Na." Percy said shrugging her shoulders. "Just scary at times."

"Good." Athena and Annabeth said.

**They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.**

"Why how did you guess?" Annabeth grinned evenly. "That's exactly what I was doing."

"Oh great." I heard Percy mutter from across the room.

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to say, You killed a minotaur! or Wow, you're so awesome! or something like that.**

"Like that will happen." Luke and I laughed. Gods I missed him. I'm glad his back.

**Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

"It's true." Nico smiled. Now that got my attention.

"How would you know?" Percy demanded. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and her cheeks were red with either furry or embarrassment. I couldn't tell.

Nico blushed a little. "Uh…Remember when I had to give you that really important piece of information on the Titans before the war?" She nodded. Nico looked around and noticed that Poseidon was looking murderously at him. "Well I had to give it to A.S.A.P…so I had to shadow travel into your living room then I just walked into your room…and you were asleep. I just ah noticed before I woke you up…that's all."

Percy and everyone else nodded and Aphrodite squeaked. "Aww that's so cute!"

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?" "Not Mr. Brunner," the ex—Mr. Brunner said.**

"Gods, that confused me so much." Percy admitted.

**"I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."**

**"Okay." Totally confused, I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for something?"**

"Naturally." He said rolling his eyes.

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly. "Young lady, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

**"Oh. Right. Sorry."**

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

"And those demigods normally turn out to be the best." Poseidon smiled.

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence." I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class**.

"What did he do?" Luke asked Percy who shook her head.

"I have no clue."

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked**.

"But don't let that go to your head now." I smirked.

"Oh you know it already has." Nico laughed.

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn.**

"Not sure she has learned it yet though." Annabeth said simply.

"Hey!" Percy growled.

"Only speaking the truth here." Annabeth said holding her hands in front of her in the universal sigh for 'it's not my fault it's true, don't kill me.'

**Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."**

"I feel like that's the worst test ever." Percy grumbled.

"I so agree with you." I told her.

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

Percy so was going to be turned into a shrub today…or at least sometime in the near future.

**"You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not, sir," he said.**

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

"Who does?" Nico said quietly.

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young ladies to know the rules." "I'm sure the girl can learn," Chiron said.**

**"Please," I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Mr. Brun—Chiron—why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"**

"Because you're a freak." Ares said.

Percy jumped to her feet only to be pulled back down by Nico. "It's not worth it." She didn't have to do anything though. Her dad threw an eclectic eel at him. Why he had it in his pocket I had no clue…

**Mr. D snorted. "I asked the same question."**

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.**

**Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, I was his star student. He expected me to have the right answer.**

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?' "She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed. Young lady, are you bidding or not?"**

"I can come close to death without anyone's help." Percy said proudly…She really needs to get her priorities straight.

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't be sufficient."**

"But the orientation film is awesome!" Nico said.

"I got to watch it a little later when I was bored one day." Percy grinned. "It reminded me of that class I taught to the telekhines." I looked at her eyebrows raised. When did she do that?

"Wait! Aren't they meant to be in tartarus?" Hera asked.

"Oh there are a lot of people and things that should be in there." Luke said.

"**Orientation film?" I asked.**

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know"—**

**he pointed to the horn in the shoe box—"that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either, lass. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive."**

"He really sounds crazy if you don't believe in the gods." Percy mussed. "I'm sure every one of us could end up in a mental hospital if we weren't careful around mortals."

"That sounds like fun." Hermes grinned.

**I stared at the others around the table.**

**I waited for somebody to yell, Not! But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points. "Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.**

"Sayters have horrible eating habits." Demeter huffed. "They need more fiber. They need more cereal!" Okay so I thought Nico and Percy were kidding about the cereal thing…

"**Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as God."**

"Sorry if that just broke your religious beliefs." Athena said. "But it's true."

"Glad I wasn't catholic." Percy sighed.

"The religious demigods always die first." Dionisus shrugged. **(A/N:EPP! Sorry I don't mean to offend anyone.)**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God—capital G, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about—"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

**"Smaller?"**

"I don't see how that's smaller." Luke said with a confused look on his face.

"I would think it would be a bigger matter because there is more Greek Gods then just one god." Percy said and for once she made sense. "Man if there was one God….that would be scary."

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

"No he means Jupiter, Juno, and yes Apollo." I said rolling my eyes. "Duh."

I swear I saw get stiff and look at each other.

**And there it was again—distant thunder on a cloudless day.**

"Spooky." Hermes said in a creepy voice.

**"Young lady," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you."**

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're—myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They're what people believed before there was science."**

"Dumb move." Athena told her.

"Ya it probably was." She admitted.

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Persephone Jackson"—I flinched when he said my real name**,

Just like she just did right now.

**which I never told anybody—"what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh, I love mortals—they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they've come so-o-o far. And have they, Chiron? Look at this girl and tell me."**

"Well he just made you look like an idiot." I muttered.

"It's not like its hard Thals." Annabeth laughed.

"You know I'm just going to start planning revenge on all four of you now?" Percy said. Uh oh this won't be good.

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as if... he wasn't.**

"Really you still haven't figured it out?" My dad laughed.

**Shoot…h-he wasn't was he?**

"Give the girl a prize!" my dad shouted and clapped his hands loudly. Earning glares from his brothers (I'm surprised Hades likes Percy so much) and Aphrodite.

**It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut. "Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that immortal means immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"**

"It's awesome!" Apollo said then high fived Hermes.

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth,**

"She already a myth." Nico commented.

**an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Persephone Jackson, that someday people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little girls can get over losing their mothers?"**

"Now that's low."Hades said. "Even I wouldn't say that."

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

"Ohh." Apollo giggled like a little girl.

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

"Oh if I had a dime for every time someone said that to me…" Percy mused.

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. She's just lost his mother. She's in shock." I wanted to say am not but with a glare from Grover, I shut it.**

"That's amazing!" Annabeth said. "You really can teach a bad dog a good trick!"

"Love, I think it's an old dog a new trick." Luck said correcting his girlfriend.

"But Percy isn't old so I like my way better."

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this miserable job, working with girls who don't even believe.'"**

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

My dad glared at Dionisus.

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise. "Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

Zeus shook his head at his son.

**More thunder.**

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off-limits." "A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

"Can we just put you in outer space?" I asked.

"If I left where would you get entertainment from?" She asked.

"Damn…She has a point." I said sadly. "Fine, we will put Luke out there." I decided.

"Wait cant it be one of my brothers?" He asked his face going white. "I'm sure Travis and Conner would love to go."

"No." Me, Percy and Nico said together.

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay away—the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely unfair."**

"I think you tear us down more now." Percy said to the wine god.

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

"Why you little-," Dionysius started. "Dionysus!" Our dad yelled. Dionysus quickly sat down.

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ... Zeus right?"**

"Wow. I'm impressed." Athena said.

"Thanks?" Percy said a little confused at her complement.

**"Di immortales, Chiron," Mr. D said. "I you actually taught this girl the basics? Call me shocked. Yes my father is Zeus, of course."**

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, duh!'?"**

"No we rather say 'no sh-'" "THALIA" My dad screamed at me. "Fine we rather say 'No ship Sherlock!'."

"**Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

"You wish you were as pretty as me." Aphrodite laughed.

**"You're a god."**

**"Yes, child."**

**"A god. You." I started laughing.**

"I know it's hard to image right?" Apollo grinned.

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

"You should already have a strait-jacket." Annabeth grumbled.

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly. "No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

"That was a quick change in mood." Hades said.

**"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The game goes to me."**

"Does he ever win?" Athena asked us. We all shook our heads 'no'."

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

"Poor Grover." Percy sighed.

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

"Like that's possible." Half the room snorted. And I'm not just talking us demigods (Minus Percy of course) there were some gods joining in to.

"I hate you all." Percy growled.

**He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus." "Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

"At one time yes." Athena answered.

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."**

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in America?"**

"No, were in Timbuktu." Apollo said sarcastically.

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know—or as I hope you know, since you passed my course—the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps—Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on—but the same forces, the same gods."**

**"And then they died."**

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not—and believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either—America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

**It was all too much, especially the fact that I seemed to be included in Chiron's we, as if I were part of some club.**

"Only the most epic club there is!" Hermes shouted happily.

**"Who are you, Chiron? Who ... who am I?" Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down.**

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."**

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear,**

That sent a ground of laughter around.

**but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached. I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.**

"Man that almost gave me a heart attack." Percy said shaking her head like trying to get rid of the memory.

"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."

"Finally it's done!" Nico said letting out a breath. "Is it me or did that take forever?" He asked.

"Yes it was boring for the most part too." Ares whined.

"Let's just finish okay?" my dad said getting a little cranky. Oh not good to have a cranky king god. "I will read next."

* * *

**A/N: Gods! That took forever to do T-T. I really did find this chapter a little boring to do since it just has a lot of in****formation. And its been my longest chapter yet with 8,467 words!…I don't think it was some of my best work, but oh well. Review and Flame me if you want. Sorry again for the delay!**

**Hugs and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy.**


	10. Bitch ate the Apple!

**A/N: Next chapter! Hope you guys like it. I did most of this chapter Friday night when I had a 4 hour detention for skipping too much class . anyways Thanks to the reviews I got. **

**Disclaimer: Ya….I still don't own this T-T**

* * *

**Apollo's P.O.V~**

I laughed as soon as I heard my dad say he would read. He couldn't be serious.

"Apollo what are you giggling about? You sound like Aphrodite when she spy's on people's love life." My dear sweet little sister asked me rather rudely.

"I am not! My laugh is very manly!" I retorted.

"That was laughing?" To my surprised Percy said. Ah, Percy, a beautiful with a hard life. Why is it always to pretty ones who die young? Not that she is dead or anything.

"Why yes it was." I said with my most charming smile that normally would melt girl's harts making normally making them swoon all over me. Not Percy though, she simply rolled her eyes. Huh. Wonder why?

"I see how you were always said to be bisexual…you can act really gay at times." My mouth dropped. H-how…huh? She did not just tell me that!

"Percy!" Nico yelled doing a facepalm. "You can't say that to people, much less a god!"

"Course you can." She grinned. A grin that reminded me of Hermes…is she really a child of Poseidon? She could easily be one of my brother's children. "I just did."

"I'd love it if Apollo was gay." Artemis smirked. "He wouldn't mess with my huntress then."

"You guys are horrible!" I yelled and crossed my arms turning away from them.

I could hear them laughing at me. My dad sighed "Let's just begin. **Chapter six, I become Supreme Bitch of the Bathroom."** He read. Oh this has got to be interesting. And oh so fitting.

"What did you do to deserve that name?" Nico asked her.

"I am still mad at that Percy." Annabeth said glaring daggers at Percy. What did she do to make someone hold a grudge for so long?

While Luke busted out laughing. "Oh I remember that! That was gold Percy!"

"I can't believe someone would call you that!" Poseidon said fuming, but Percy shrugged it off like she was use to it.

"What happened?" Thalia asked. Huh. Both her and lover boy doesn't know? Strange.

"Wait and see like everyone else." Percy smirked. "I may not still be alive by the end though if Annabeth keeps glaring at me like that…she may attack me."

"It's ok Percy." Luke said smiling at her as he put Annabeth on his lap. They were dating? I guessed I missed that fact. "I'll watch her."

"I'm sure you will." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

**Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse,**

"You really are a nice person Percy!" Demeter said sarcastically. "I mean everyone just loves being called a horse."

"He is one." Percy said shrugging.

**we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him.**

Everyone started laughing. "Hun, Chiron goes to the restroom like everyone else." I said flashing another smile, and still she didn't give the type of reaction I had hoped for.

"That makes since I would think Chiron would have more decency then to _go_ in public." She giggled.

**I'd done pooper-scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a few times, and, I'm sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front.**

"In the front he could be more dangerous and step you though." Luke pointed out.

"Yet in the back he could kick up on his front legs and hit you with his hooves." Mean less to say they were at a draw.

**We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying.**

"And you already have a reputation." I mused.

"Oh goody." She said rolling her eyes. I got the attention that she was use to the lime light, but didn't always like it.

**Another said, "You mean it was a girl?"**

The gothic kid Nico laughed. "That won't go over well."

"You got that right." Thalia agreed. You know if I couldn't tell he like Percy, Thalia and him would make a cute couple…if you're into that forbidden romance thing, well Percy and Nico's love is kinda forbidden too. GAH! I'm thinking like Aphrodite. That's horrible!

**That stupid sexist pig. **

"Ohh!" Hermes and I said at the same time.

"Percy that wasn't very a very nice thing to think." Aphrodite chided.

"But true." She smirked.

"I'd like to bring back up the nice lessen you will be attending, starting tomorrow." Aphrodite said.

Percy's face went white. "I never agreed to those."

"You didn't have to." The goddess of love smiled.

**I thought when I heard that. I sent a glare his way not caring if I was making a bad first impression.**

"First impressions are very important though dear." Hera smiled kindly making me want to bring up how she threw her son off of Olympus the first time she saw him. I didn't though. Her and Hephaestus is just starting to make up, I don't want to jeopardize that.

**Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their bare shaggy hindquarters. I wasn't normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me uncomfortable.**

"Wow I didn't think she would admit that." Annabeth said.

"I'm sitting right here, it's not like I'm not in the room." Percy growled.

"Oops." Her friend laughed.

**I felt like they were expecting me to do a flip or something.**

"More like spit fire, but that's ok." Luke laughed. I had a filling he was telling the truth, and as the god of truth I can tell those things.

"Dang that's just out of my arsenal or tricks." Percy laughed along with her friends.

**I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized—four stories tall, sky blue with white trim, like an upscale seaside resort. **

"It should, that's how I modeled it to look." Dionysus said proudly.

**I was checking out the brass eagle weather vane on top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable.**

Everyone turned to look at the girl suspiciously. We all knew what was in there.

**Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched.**

"You know, that thing only moved when you were around." Thalia remarked.

"You mean it had moved more than that one time?" I asked wondering if my oracle was up to something…how did she move?

**"What's up there?" I asked Chiron.**

"An old hippy." Nico laughed. Hades for some reason seemed a little nervous.

"Don't show disrespect, Nicodemus." His father said.

"Like you did?" Nico asked casting a glace towards Luke. What was that all about?

"Oh Nico he fixed his mistake." Percy said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't start this again ok?" There was a look in her eyes that seemed like she was having an unheard conversation with him. He nodded subconsciously pulling Percy closer. I don't think she minded all that much, but I also don't think he realized that he really did it.

**He looked where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "Just the attic."**

**"Somebody lives there?"**

"Not really." Hermes said sadly. He was probably thinking of May Castellan…come to think of it isn't Luke her son? I tucked that bit of information away for later.

**"No," he said with finality. "Not a single living thing."**

I frowned at that. My poor oracle.

"Not a living thing at all." Percy said wrinkling her nose.

**I got the feeling he was being truthful. But I was also sure something had moved that curtain.**

"Something did." Thalia said shaking her head.

**"Come along, Percy," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "Lots to see."**

**We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe. Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."**

"Strawberries are wonderful." Percy smiled. The other demigods all started laughing till they were all red in the face.

"What's so funny?" Poseidon asked.

"W-well one day Percy ate to many strawberries her skin turned red. She looked like she had a nasty sun burn for days." Annabeth said between her laughter. It wasn't long till everyone joined in. Except Percy, she didn't seem to find it very amusing.

After we all calmed down Percy said "Are you quite done?"

"Yes." Zeus answered and began to read again.

**He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those,**

"Darn right he is!" Zeus said smacking his hand agent his armrest.

**so they grew strawberries instead.**

**I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire.**

"Wonderful slimily dear." Athena smiled.

Percy nodded her head a little bashfully.

**I wondered if Grover could work that kind of magic with music. **

"Not well at least." Luke muttered.

"Hey, hey," Annabeth said playfully hitting her boyfriend on the shoulder. "He's gotten better."

**I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, getting chewed out by Mr. D. "Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" I asked Chiron. "I mean ... he was a good protector. Really."**

**Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horses back like a saddle.**

"You really like paying attention to detail, don't you?" Hades asked.

Percy shrugged. "When it catches my attention."

**"Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable. **

"No dream is too big." Percy smiled.

**To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."**

**"But he did that!"**

"Not quite." Annabeth sighed.

**"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders**

"Well you know what?" Percy growled. "The Council of Cloven Elders can go su-," Thalia and Nico both tackled her.

"Ok that's enough Percy; we do not need to hear that." Thalia said. I snickered. This girl was a riot…Hopefully she would start one, and we would get to hear about it.

**must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success.**

**After all, Grover lost you in New York.**

"Percy knows New Your City like the back of her hand." Nico laughed. "If she wants to lose someone she will be gone in seconds."

"Really?" Hephaestus asked raising and eyebrow. "How many time's has she ditched you then?"

Nico blushed as Thalia answered "At least a dozen."

"That's a pretty low number." Percy mused rubbing her chin. I couldn't help but to think _that's a low number? _"I guess Nico just doesn't piss me off like most people."

**Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your mother. And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."**

**I wanted to protest. None of what happened was Grover's fault. I also felt really, really guilty.**

"You should." Aphrodite said.

**If I hadn't given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might not have gotten in trouble. "He'll get a second chance, won't he?"**

"That was his second try." Luke sighed.

**Chiron winced. "I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance, Percy. The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age... ."**

"His still scrawny." Percy laughed

**"How old is he?"**

"Old." They all replied.

**"Oh, twenty-eight."**

"Wow that's a little young." I said absentmindedly.

**"What! And he's in sixth grade?"**

**"Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years."**

"That sucks to be in middle school for that long." Thalia said looking horrified.

"How would you know?" Percy asked her. "You went for six months as an eighth grader."

"It's school, do I need any more experience to know that?" The girl had a point.

**"That's horrible."**

"Percy you just agreed with me." Thalia said in a matter of fact way.

**"Quite," Chiron agreed. "At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career... ."**

"He would be a lovely tap dancer." Nico chuckled. I was Percy turned and look at him, and when she did her whole face lit up. AH, to be young and in love.

**"That's not fair," I said. "What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?" Chiron looked away quickly. "Let's move along, shall we?" But I wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. **

"Of course you didn't." I laughed.

**Something had occurred to me when Chiron talked about my mother's fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word death. The beginnings of an idea—a tiny, hopeful fire—started forming in my mind.**

"Oh no Percy." Poseidon said looking worried at his daughter. "Pease don't go there."

"Too late." Percy said in a nonchalant voice. As if talking about going to the underworld was normal…well maybe it was.

"I can't believe you were already planning to go there before…" Annabeth said in shock.

**"Chiron," I said. "If the gods and Olympus and all that are real ..."**

**"Yes, child?"**

**"Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?"**

"Not a good question to ask him Perc." Nico said.

**Chiron's expression darkened.**

"Who's wouldn't when you're talking about the underworld?" I asked. Earning glares from Hades, Nico and Percy…I'm surprised I didn't die from there glares…but I can't die now can I?

**"Yes, child." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now ... until we know more ... I would urge you to put that out of your mind."**

"So he already knew you wanted to go?" Hades asked Percy. She nodded her head and signaled for my dad to keep going.

**"What do you mean, 'until we know more'?"**

**"Come, Percy. Let's see the woods." As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native Americans.**

"You know it's truly amazing when Seaweed brain acts smart." Thalia laughed earning another pillow to be thrown at her head from of Percy.

**Chiron said, "The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."**

**"Stocked with what?" I asked. "Armed with what?"**

"A bubble blaster!" Percy shouted.

"She kidding right?" Hermes asked trying to hide a smile.

"Um…no." Luke said.

"The last captor the flag game she went in with a Bubble gun toy and put more than half of the camp into the infirmary." Thalia clarified. "Bubbles are basically water projectiles that she has learned to make blow up."

We all turned to the daughter of Poseidon with horrifying looks.

"Yup." Percy said popping the "P" and grinning evilly. "All I did was rearranging the elements to make Aluminum nitride and water bubbles and made sure the two didn't touch till I wanted them to, and wa'la! An instant bomb!"

One word came to mind. _Evil Genius_.

**"You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"**

"Oh naturally every kid gets their own set for their sixth's birthday." Percy grinned.

"They do?" I asked.

"No not really." Athena said rolling her eyes. "At least not anymore."

**"My own—?"**

**"No," Chiron said. "I don't suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armory later."**

"Percy I thought you used a size 2 ½ shield." Nico asked looking at her confusedly.

"I do, size 5 is way too big." Percy informed us.

**I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armory,**

"Any good camp." Luke answered unnecessary.

**but there was too much else to think about, so the tour continued. We saw the archery range,**

"Witch let me remind you, are band from." Nico said to her.

"Why?" I and Artemis asked at the same time.

"She shot some guy that was the total opposite direction she was." Annabeth said. "They arrow got him square in the back nearly killing him."

"Ok Archery isn't your thing." I laughed horrified.

**the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much),**

"Huh I wonder why?" Thalia said rolling her eyes.

**the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights. "Sword and spear fights?" I asked.**

"The best thing ever!" The kids all said together.

**"Cabin challenges and all that," he explained. "Not lethal. Usually.**

"Key word there." Ares said. I looked over, he seemed to have just woken up from a nap. "They should be more lethal."

"I agree." Percy said. "Only if you were the appoint though."

"Little Brat." Ares growled. "I oughta teach you not to be so cocky."

"You can't be cocky if you already know your better from the past." Well that didn't help her case.

**Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall."**

**Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls.**

This will lead to a good remark, I can feel it.

**"What do you do when it rains?" I asked.**

Everyone laughed. "It only rains on certain days." Athena said.

"Not when I'm abound." Percy grumbled.

"Then the Nymphs deliver food to the cabins if for some reason you can go to the dinning pavilion." Athena said.

**Chiron looked at me as if I'd gone a little weird. "We still have to eat, don't we?"**

"Not unless you can use photosynthesis." Hermes said.

"Wow that was a big word, I'm proud of you Hermes." Athena teased.

"Can't children of Demeter us Photosynthesis?" Percy asked. Now I was beginning to wonder if she had holes in her education or if she was just really bad at science.

"Yes a few of my children can." Demeter said proudly.

"Huh?" I said out loud on accident. "They can? So there like living plants?"

In milliseconds I had a thick vine holding my ankles hanging me upside down. Oh lovely. "Excuse me? What did you call my children?" My aunt sneered.

"Errr…" I said looking for a way out. I turned to the demigods with pleating eyes.

"No way, last time I angered Demeter I was forced to eat nothing but the blandest cereal for a week." Percy said shaking her way.

"I don't want to live through that again either." Nico said after her. "Count me out." Wimp.

"I find it amusing." Thalia smirked.

"And we're just not going to get involved in godly…disagreements." Luke said speaking for both him and Annabeth.

_Dirty rotten traitors! _Demigods are meant to help the gods, yet these for sit here laughing along with my other family members as I get lifted up higher.

When they quieted down, they forgot about me and continued reading! The nerve of people!

**I decided to drop the subject.**

Just like I was just dropped by the vine.

As I feel I was cursing everyone in the room….too bad I didn't get all the way done before I hit the floor. "Ow." I moaned.

"Serves you right." Demeter grinned down at me.

**Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them,**

"And that's where things first went wrong." Nico said sadly.

"And what do you mean by that?" Zeus asked him.

"It's complicated." Was his reply, which made me all the more curious. "It will explain a little latter."

**nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.**

"There not bizarre!" Annabeth yelled.

"Yes and they got stranger since we have new cabins, I mean the Hades cabin is made of onix or something with creepy green fire torches." Percy said to prove her point. When did Hades get a cabin?

"My cabin is epic Percy, you can't deny it." Nico grinned.

"I have a cabin?" Uncle H asked in amazed. I think his happy about that too.

"Yup, and I'm the most amazing councilor ever." His son replied.

"If you had any siblings they would impeach you." Thalia grinned.

"They would not!"

"I think we all would get impeach if we had other siblings." Percy laughed ending her cousin's argument.

**Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at.**

"Wahoo!" I shouted "Go my cabin! Go my cabin!" I started singing and doing the cabbage patch a little.

"Apollo, what _is_ wrong with you?" My lovely sister asked me.

"A lot." Percy answered. "I mean what kind of God of Poetry is he when he can't do a haiku?" She said like it should be obvious.

"My haiku's are awesome." I defended. "Can you do one?" I asked her.

She pursued her lips, not speaking for a moment before she said

"_Haikus are simple,_

_Unless you're an idiot,_

_Like you Apollo."_

Annabeth let out a giggle.

"Well, she told you bro." Hermes patted my shoulder. He wasn't helping.

**Hades P.O.V~**

I had to hand it to my niece; she had a good habit of making people look like idiots. It was amusing. As long as she didn't use it on me, we would get along.

**They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).**

"Basketball should be left for the boys." Aphrodite said shaking her head. "You should be on the sidelines as a cheerleader."

"I'll become a cheerleader when Thalia does." Percy laughed.

"Oh really?" Uh oh, that was Aphrodite scheming voice. I pitted the girls.

**In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick.**

"You saw Hestia?" I asked surprised. Not many notice her.

"She at camp often." Percy said like that should justify her answer.

**The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.**

**"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.**

"Nice quest." Hera smiled at the heroin.

**"Correct," Chiron said.**

**"Their cabins look empty." "Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."**

**Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot. Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians. But why would some be empty? I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three.**

"Home sweet home." She smiled.

**It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor.**

"They were." My brother said proudly. Gosh I was so happy I had a cabin, I can't wait to see it.

**I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!"**

"She has a right to look in there." My brother bellowed.

"Na, it's ok, we didn't know." Percy shrugged.

**Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."**

"Are you lonely?" Poseidon asked.

"At times, but I have friends and Tyson…I'm not sure how I would react to any brothers or sister." Percy admitted.

"Children of the big three form more bonds when they don't have any siblings. We get along better." Thalia said. That certainly surprised me. Well these three get along better than any children of the big three have in the past.

**Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.**

"And still are." Luke I think was his name said.

**Number five was bright red—a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets and fists.**

"Do you have an issue with my cabin punk?" Ares the great brute growled.

"I have issues with you in general." Percy said rolling her eyes.

**The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer. She reminded me of Nancy Bobofit, though the camper girl was much bigger and tougher looking, and her hair was long and stringy, and brown instead of red.**

**I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves. "We haven't seen any other centaurs,"**

"You expected to?" I asked her.

"Well Chiron was at camp so I assumed…" Came her reply.

"Idiot seaweed brain." Thalia hissed.

**I observed.**

"At least she had some base for that comment." Annabeth snorted.

**"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I'm afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events.**

"Or at the Rockettes show." My said son said with a grim face. "At least they made it enjoyable."

"What?" Hermes said laughing. "Why were you there?"

"Persephone wanted to go." Nico shrugged. "A family outing she called it."

I laughed. "Really? I didn't know we already counted you as family Persephone, but welcome none the less." I said to Percy just to tease my son. "Poseidon, how about you have them for Thanksgiving and then we have Nico and Percy for Christmas this year, we can switch major holidays every year."

My brother laughed seeing my intentions. "Sounds like a good deal. Though, she is not allowed to eat the fruit of the underworld." The kid's faces were both bright red.

My son cleared his throat and looked away from Percy. "I meant the first Persephone!"

"Oh but we were still serious." Poseidon said. "Percy, no eating food from the underworld. Got it young lady?"

"Oh oops you should have told me sooner." She said looking guilty. "I already ate an apple from my namesake's garden." Wait what! When did that happen? Will it be in the books? Either way I can't wait.

"W-when was this?" My son asked. So he didn't know?

"Persephone!" Poseidon yelled. "How could you do that?"

"I did it the other day…meant to tell you." Percy said uncomfortably. "But then, well we came here."

"Brothers," Zeus said looking around at everyone. "I know this is a sensitive topic, but I feel it would be best for you to finish this conversation in privet and at another time."

"His right." I agreed, with a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Fine." Poseidon said and Zeus trudged on.

**But you won't see any here."**

**"You said your name was Chiron. Are you really ..."**

"No, no he's the _other_ Chiron." Thalia said trying to easy the left over tension.

**He smiled down at me. "The Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, I am."**

"HA!" Percy shouted throwing her arm up in a punch, "I was right and you were wrong! HA!" She a strange kid to be gloating when she was in some serious trouble.

**"But, shouldn't you be dead?"**

"You shouldn't ask that question." Aphrodite sighed. Probably seeing a lost cause in the girl, I know I do.

**Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly don't know about should be. The truth is, I can't be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish ... and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed."**

"Defiantly needed." My son smiled. Did he really like camp? None of my other children have ever been accepted there or have like going. I wonder what's different about things now.

**I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years. It wouldn't have made my Top Ten Things to Wish For list.**

"Being a teacher is not on my to do wish, much less wish list." Percy said making a face.

"You teach?" Luke laughed. I had to admit the girl didn't seem like the type to teach. "You teach sword play at camp yes, but as an actually teacher? You would either kill the kids or they would all fail the class."

"Jerk." Percy growled.

**"Doesn't it ever get boring?"**

**"No, no," he said. "Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring."**

**"Why depressing?"**

"Because you see people die around you." Hera of all people said. I'm not sure what gives her the right to say this, but I won't be the one to call her out on it.

**Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing again.**

"Ah his special trait that Percy seemed to have learned from him." Annabeth said. "She never listens to what anyone says at times."

"Don't see the issue here." Percy shrugged.

"And that's one of the issues." Nico sighed.

**"Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."**

**The blond girl I'd met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven.**

**When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how much I drooled.**

"Come on, I'm past that." Annabeth said rolling her eyes. "I believe I was thinking of why you didn't look like any other demigods I have ever seen. I figured you would be the only child of your parent."

"Well you're not a child of Athena for nothing." Luke smiled and kissed her on the check.

"She certainly is bright." Athena herself said.

**I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. I thought my dyslexia was acting up. Then I realized the title wasn't even English. The letters looked Greek to me. I mean, literally Greek. There were pictures of temples and statues and different kinds of columns, like those in an architecture book.**

"Is there any other kind of book would she bother to read?" Nico asked.

"I won't go near a sciences book." Annabeth said. "I find them full of wrong information."

"I like chemistry though; you learn how to make bombs." Percy grinned.

"Ya and that's just what we need." Nico chuckled. "You, making bombs when you already have exploding bubbles."

**"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."**

"It was a better home then with Gabe any day." Percy muttered.

**Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on old.**

I saw Hermes cringed at that.

**The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it... ? A caduceus.** **Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation center.**

"I think I should get that cabin renovated." The god of travelers said and I quite agreed.

"Don't worry, it's already been done." Luke smiled at his dad. "We did it when we were making the new cabins."

"Good."

**Chiron didn't go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all stood and bowed respectfully.**

**"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner."**

**He galloped away toward the archery range.**

**I stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore. They were staring at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine. I'd gone through it at enough schools.**

I wondered how many schools she was up to now.

**"Well?" Annabeth prompted. "Go on."**

"Oh I remaber this." Luke said not looking very happy for some reason.

**So naturally I tripped coming in the door and a taller guy caught me right before I would had fell on a sharp looking sword, he put me back on my feet. I probably just made total fool of myself too.**

"It could have been worse." Luke said. "At least you didn't fall on that sword."

"Conner and Travis made fun of me for a while after that though." Percy grumbled.

**There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything. My face must have been beet red too.**

**Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven.**

"Hello." Percy smiled.

"You've already meet them." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

"Your point?"

"You can't remeet someone." Thalia huffed.

"Sure you can." Percy smiled.

**"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.**

**I didn't know what to say, but Annabeth said, "Undetermined."**

"Oh yay!" Luke said jokingly.

**Everybody groaned.**

"Well that's nice of them huh?" Apollo said. "Herms what do you teach you kids?"

"How to be just like me." Hermes smiled.

**A guy who helped me earlier stepped forward again. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there. Oh and Conner next time someone almost dies because you won't put your sword away, you will be hanging from the flagpole by your boxers again." He laughed as the guy who the sword must have began to pale.**

"You know it's the funniest thing when you actually do put him up there." Nico smirked at Luke. Then as if remembering something he frowned and glared at the guy. What was going on there?

**The guy was about seventeen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short-cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with five different-colored clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash but it totally worked for him.**

"You're _so _right it does." Aphrodite squeaked.

"I am going to have to agree with you too." Annabeth said. What is it with teenage girls and boys? I will never know.

**"This is Luke," Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow.**

"That's so cute!" Aphrodite squeaked.

**I glanced over and could've sworn she was blushing. Don't blame her he's pretty cute.**

Nico glared at Luke now more fiercely. I guess he doesn't like him, and _does not_ want Percy thinking about Luke that way.

"Yes he is." Annabeth smiled. "But his mine Percy, you can't have him."

She laughed. "Good you're welcome to keep him." Then I swore she added "I have someone I like anyways." Really quietly…but I wasn't too sure.

**She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He's your counselor for now."**

**"For now?" I asked.**

"Till you move into your rightful cabin that is." Poseidon smiled at his daughter. She grinned back and I wondered how they had such a good relationship….maybe I should ask Poseidon for parenting tips?

**"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently.**

"Yes because you have to be patient with Percy." Nico said only to get smacked by Percy. Ouch. My son had it coming though.

**"They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."**

"We're also the coolest cabin." Both Hermes and his son said.

"Ya right." Everyone else in the room replied thinking there children and cabin is the best, when its obviously mine.

**I looked at the tiny section of floor they'd given me. I had nothing to put there to mark it as my own, no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bag. Just the Minotaur's horn. I thought about setting that down, but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves.**

"That was wise." Athena said. "You wouldn't have had that horn if you had."

**I looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyeing me as if they were waiting for a chance to pick my pockets. Great! Just what I needed a cabin full of Nancy Bobbofit's.**

"WE ARE NOT!" Luke yelled.  
"Na you guys are better thieves." Percy laughed.

**"How long will I be here?" I asked.**

"Forever!" Hermes laughed manically. I wonder if he was thrown off Olympus too, what else could affect his brain so?

**"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."**

"Aww your not ment to tell her that!" Hermes whined.

**"How long will that take?"**

**The campers all laughed.**

**"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I'll show you the volleyball court."**

**"I've already seen it."**

"Doesn't matter." Luke shrugged. "She was doing you a favore."

**"Come on." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. I could hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing behind me.**

"That isn't nice." Hera said.

"Its camp." Was Percy's explanation.

**When we were a few feet away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."**

"I agree." Her mother said.

**"What?"**

**She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."**

"I am the one." Percy grinned.

**"What's your problem?" I was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—" "Don't talk like that!" Annabeth told me. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"**

"A lot?" Percy guessed.

"Right you are." Athena nodded.

**"To get killed?"**

"Oh that's half the fun!" Thalia laughed. Witch I wouldn't see as fun.

**"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"**

"To become supper hero's." Percy said matter of factly. "Duh."

**I shook my head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories ..."**

"It is." Athena said.

**"Yes."**

**"Then there's only one."**

"Because if there were more we would be screwed." Nico said. He was right.

**"Yes."**

**"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."**

"Wow you were smart…" Thalia smirked. "Once upon a time ago."

"Hey!" Percy screamed.

"You know it's true."

"I do not!"

"Sure." Thalia laughed.

**"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."**

"Because that would just be too easy now wouldn't it?" Percy huffed.

"And nothing in your life is easy huh?" Nico grinned at her. I wonder why the two arnt dating. They obviously care for each other. Maybe he just hasn't asked yet, or if he has did she say no because she wasn't ready for a relationship yet?

**"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."**

**"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form."**

**I thought about Mrs. Dodds. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, **

"That wasn't an accident." I laughed.

**with a sword—"**

**"The Fur ... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."**

"She still hates me." Percy sighed.

"Alecto doesn't like many people." I answered her. "But the people she does, she is loyal to."

"Sounds like Percy." Nico mussed.

**"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"**

"How?" Apollo asked. "Can you see the futer?"

"Uh-no." Annabeth said. "I leave that to Rachel."

"Who?" I asked.

"No one." She answered.

"You know she hates when people call her that." Percy grinned.

**"You talk in your sleep."**

I wonder if Nico knew that too. I looked over and judging by the look on his face he did, he just chose not to say anything.

**"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"**

"And good at it too." I nodded.

**Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her.**

I Laughed at that.

**"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all." "Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" **

"Not without Zeus getting all pissy about it." Poseidon said making me laugh.

**I sounded whiny,**

"Just a bit." Luke agreed.

**even to myself, but right then I didn't care. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."**

"Bad idea." Percy said shaking her head.

**I pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent."**

**She stared at me, waiting for me to get it.**

"That may take a while." Thalia laughed and Percy growled.

**"My mom is Sally Jackson," I said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station.**

"Awesome job." Apollo mused.

**At least, she used to."**

**"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."**

**"He's dead. I never knew him."**

Poseidon looked sadden by that. At least I saw Nico and Bianca grow up.

**Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with other kids. "Your father's not dead, Percy."**

"I would hope not." Poseidon said looking appalled at the thought.

**"How can you say that? You know him?"**

"A little." Annabeth laughed.

**"No, of course not."**

**"Then how can you say—"**

**"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."**

**"You don't know anything about me."**

I got the impression that no matter what, Percy has yet to really open up to anyone fully.

**"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."**

"I got bored." Percy shrugged.

**"How—"**

**"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."**

It was obvious she had the ADHD part.

**I tried to swallow my embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?"**

**"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive,**

"And that's a bad thing for Percy." Nico said.

**can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."**

**"You sound like ... you went through the same thing?"**

**"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."**

**"Ambrosia and nectar."**

**"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."**

"Good, that's ten times better than being mortal, and twenty thousand time better than being Thalia."

"ya." Thalia said. Making me snicker. "Hey wait!"

"You already said it." Percy smiled winning the argument before it really even got started.

**A half-blood.**

No she a party pony I thought rolling my eyes.

**I was reeling with so many questions I didn't know where to start.**

"Typical." Annabeth muttered.

**Then a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"**

"Run." Nico said plainly.

"Na, this is fun." Percy grinned evilly.

**I looked over. The big girl from the ugly red cabin was sauntering toward us. She had three other girls behind her, all big and ugly and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.**

"She needs a makeover." Aphrodite said.

"Oh yes she does." Percy grinned again. "You should make her look like Barbie."

"Hmmm…maybe I will." She giggled.

**"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"**

"Bad insult." I said.

"It was." Annabeth agreed a little deflated.

**"Sure, Miss Princess," the big girl said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."**

"That's my girl!" Ares yelled. Wow…who knew he could be affectionate?

**''Erre es korakas!"**

"Now that's better dear." Her mother said approvingly.

**Annabeth said, which I somehow understood was Greek for 'Go to the crows!' though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. "You don't stand a chance."**

"Sure she doesn't." Her dad laughed.

**"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she wasn't sure she could follow through on the threat. She turned toward me. "Who's this little runt?"**

I saw my son pull the daughter of Poseidon close to him as if to protect her. I doubted she needed protecting though.

**"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."**

**I blinked. "Like ... the war god?"**

No like the underwear store. You know I'm not sure why they named it Aries, American Eagle or who ever owned them are crazier then Apollo and Hermes on sugar rushes.

**Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"**

"Kind of." Percy answered.

**"No," I said, recovering my wits. "It explains the bad smell."**

Everyone laughed. She was mouthy even then.

**Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."**

"Bring it." Percy grinned. Oh I did not have a good feeling about this.

**"Percy."**

**"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."**

**"Clarisse—" Annabeth tried to say.**

"I'm not sure why I bother trying to break it up." Annabeth sighed. "It was a lost cause from the start."

**"Stay out of it, wise girl."**

Wise girl was not the worst nickname to have.

**Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it, and I didn't really want her help. I was the new kid. I had to earn my own rep I handed Annabeth my minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse had me by the neck and was dragging me**

"Oh that's gotta have left a mark." Hermes winced.

"A little one." Percy shrugged.

**toward a cinder-block building that I knew immediately was the bathroom.**

"Oh so this is where the bathrooms come in." Apollo mussed. "But where does bitch come from?" He asked.

"You will see just how epic I am." Percy smiled.

"Your already beet from what I can see." Ares grunted from his throne.

"Not by a long shot."

**I was kicking and punching. I'd been in plenty of fights before, but this big girl Clarisse had hands like iron.**

"Still beet." Ares chimed in.

**She dragged me into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was thinking—as much as I could think with Clarisse ripping my hair out—that if this place belonged to the gods, they should've been able to afford classier johns.**

Eh…I had to agree. We should change that…but normally the big three cabins have their own bathroom.

**Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I'd used to fight the Minotaur, but it just wasn't there.**

What a shame, I want to hear that Percy kicked their butts.

**"Like she's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets.**

"Of course I am." Percy grinned. "I'm Percy."

"No your Posy." Nico grinned. "We went over this."

"Yes we have, and no I am not." I had to admit I like that name for her.

**"Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, she was so stupid looking."**

Nico growled. "I'm going to kill her for saying that."

"It was a long time ago." Percy said.

**Her friends snickered.**

**Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers.**

"You could have helped her." Poseidon said to her.

"It wouldn't have been much good." Annabeth said "This was something you have to do on your own."

"She right." Percy said. "I would have been angery at her if she had."

**Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head toward the toilet bowl. It reeked like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. I strained to keep my head up. I was looking at the scummy water, thinking, I will not go into that. I won't.**

"Tell me you didn't get your head put in there." Nico asked her.

"Eh." She shrugged not answering the question.

**Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shudder. Clarisse's grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arc straight over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the bathroom tiles with Clarisse screaming behind me. I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse straight in the face so hard it pushed her down onto her butt. The water stayed on her like the spray from a fire hose, pushing her backward into a shower stall.**

Everyone was laughing. This is why you don't piss off a child of the big three, especially not by there domain.

**She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming toward her. But then the other toilets exploded, too, and six more streams of toilet water blasted them back. The showers acted up, too, and together all the fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.**

"Go Percy go!" Hermes cheered on.

**As soon as they were out the door, I felt the tug in my gut lessen, and the water shut off as quickly as it had started.**

Well she needs better control but it's a start.

"Good job Percy." Poseidon said to her.

**The entire bathroom was flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared. She was dripping wet, but she hadn't been pushed out the door. She was standing in exactly the same place, staring at me in shock.**

"Oh I was angry too." Annabeth said. "But I had other things on my mind at the moment."

"How could I forget? You made plans to get me killed after that." Percy said bitterly.

"I think you two are even." Luke said trying to not have a fight start.

**I looked down and realized I was sitting in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a circle of dry floor around me. I didn't have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing.**

"Wahoo!" Poseidon cheered. "She is so much better than your daughter." He gloated to Ares.

**I stood up, my legs shaky.**

**Annabeth said, "How did you ..."**

"I told you, with my awesome skills." Percy grinned.

**"I don't know."**

Well she knew now.

**We walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face. Her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage. She gave me a look of absolute hatred. "You are dead, new girl. You are totally dead."**

"I was _so_ scared." Percy giggled. Yes she would be a good match for my son.

**I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth."**

"Oh! She got told!" Hermes laughed.

"Good comeback Percy." Apollo grinned. Gosh, I feel like he has been making googally eyes at her all day. It's funny that she ignores him straight out. He doesn't get that often it's funny. But he should know to back off since obviously she basically already with Nico.

**Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her toward cabin five, while the other campers made way to avoid her flailing feet. I could still hear her calling me bitch and swaring at me when she got to her cabin.**

**Annabeth stared at me. I couldn't tell whether she was just grossed out or angry at me for dousing her.**

"Both." She answered.

**"What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking," she said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."**

"Gosh that was a horrible game for me." Percy said facepalming.

"Anyways," Zeus said clearing his throat. "That's the last chapter were reading today. I say we have dinner at 8:30 pm then relax for the rest of the night."

Perfect that gave us thirty minutes to talk to Percy about why she ate the apple from the underworld, and what we should do about it since it can't be undone. "That's fine." I answered and got up nodding at Poseidon.

"Come along Percy; let's go have that little chat." He said to his daughter shrinking to human size. "Nico you might as well come too."

Percy smirked and got up. "Okay." She said all too happily making me wonder if she had something up her sleeve.

"Uh…" Nico said hesidently looking at me. I nodded and he stood up. "Why not?"

Poseidon and I lead them back to my Palace on Olympus (yes I had one here…but it took a lot of arguing) and into the study.

"Percy, do you know what you did?" Poseidon started out.

"I have something to say first though" Percy said before he go on. She had that look of mischief of her face again though.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Im done! So who did you guys like it? Did you like the people I chose? What about the name of the chapter? Too bad? Review if you want!**

**Hugs and Destruction.**

**Heros Legcay**


	11. 100 Percent Right?

**A/N: Ello people! How is everyone doing? I hope the answer to that was good…if it wasn't I'm sorry. I know I haven't updated in a few weeks I'm sorry. I've had finals then the hollodays…and I always have a lot more going on during breaks then durning school… So here is the next chapter, its short bad and everything in between, but the next chapter should be out faster!**

**Disclaimer: I have started my plot for gaining stealing the rights to the books from Rick Riorden, but for now I still do not own.**

**Poseidon's P.O.V~**

I was so upset not because Percy ate an apple from the underworld…well I was upset about that too, but I figured my brother would take care of Persephone as well as he takes care of his wife. Hades is actually a good guy; he just isn't given a lot of chances to show it. Mainly I was upset that she seemed to like the underworld a lot more than being in the water or in the mortal world. And how long in each year does she have to stay there? I don't think it's a whole year since she isn't there right now. Will I ever get to see her?

"Look Percy," I said taking a deep breath. "Before you tell me what you wish to tell me, just know I am just worried about you. That is why I yelled. I'm angry –yes- but I have to support your decisions, and if this is what you have chosen to do with your life, then that's a hundred percent fine."

Hades put a hand on my shoulder. He knew this was hard for me.

After a few moments she answered, "Well that's good to know dad." Persephone nodded looking like she-she wanted to laugh? Why? I don't understand. "I'm glad you support me." She smiled there.

**Hades' P.O.V~**

I'm shocked that she ate something from the underworld; I wonder why. Oh well this works out better for me. If she is in the underworld for at least part of the year then she will fall in love with Nico. Now that's great for my son and all, since he obviously cares for her, but if they get marred it would bring a end to my brothers and mine arguing…or at least most of it since we would have a reason not to argue, and since Nico is my heir (not that Nico knows I decided that) they would both become immortal. Maybe I could get Poseidon to agree with setting up their wedding? There is nothing wrong with an arrange marriage, I mean that's how we use to do it back in the old days in Greece. I'm sure he would agree, especially since it would be for the best, not just for us, but for the kids too.

I looked at my son, who seemed to me lost in thought, then to the girl. Yes, she would be a fine wife for him. Yet that look on her face still gave me the feeling she was up to something. No. She definitely had something up her sleeve.

**Nico's P.O.V~**

Oh no, oh no, no, no! Why did she do it? Was she tempted to eat the stupid apple from someone? How did she get it? When did sh-_Gods damn it!_ It was my fault! The last time she was in the underworld was when I tricked her into seeing my father, when he didn't want us going back to the surface to join the war so we didn't die.

I was beginning to think that nice caring jester of him locking us up so we wouldn't fight, was a trick to make Posy to stay in the underworld forever…but for what reason?

I wish she wouldn't have eaten that stupid apple! What if it ruins her life?

"Of Corse! I would support you no matter what!" Poseidon said looking shock to think she didn't think he would. He looked worried, I wonder how his taking it? He's like Percy; they both can mask their emotions and only show what they want you to see.

"Well anyways," Percy said looking around then cleared her throat. "So what I was about to say was-," "Oh yes I'm sorry I interrupted, carry on." I rolled my eyes at Poseidon. He just interrupted her again.

"Well I didn't eat the apple." She said fast and continued before I or anyone had time to process what she just said. "I said that because I didn't like what you were saying about me and Nico, so I thought that would be the best revenge. Oh look at the time! Come on Nico lets go to dinner." And with that she grabbed my arm and ran/dragged me out of the room at top speed.

The only thing I could think was _what the gods is going on?_

**Poseidon's P.O.V~  
**I stood gaping at the door. Had she really just done that? Did she really mean that?

Hades cleared his throat next to me. "So I guess she doesn't have to stay in the underworld."

"Uh…ya." I said. "I can't believe we fell for that, I can't believe Persephone did that to us."

My brother laughed at that. "I guess we had that coming though."

"Ya I guess you're right." I sighed. "Come on, we better get off to dinner, or Zeus will be angry." And with that I started to lead the way there.

**~X~**

**Percy's P.O.V~**

I was grinning ear to ear as I took my see at the dining table.

"I can't believe you did that!" Nico said angrily while trying to hide a smirk. "You're so going to get grounded, or at least be in trouble for that, you know."

"Maybe, maybe not." My grin widened. "I wisely left before anyone could yell."

"And that makes it _so_ much better." Nico said rolling his eyes.

"What did she do now?" Thalia asked leaning closer and I giggled.

"Remember when she told everyone that she ate the fruit of the underworld?" Nico asked.

"Corse-," Thalia started to say before Apollo butted in. "oh wait, didn't you, uncle H, and uncle P all go talk about that?"

"We never really got around about talking about it." I said taking a strawberry from my plate not caring if we were meant to start yet or not.

"Really? Why?" Hermes asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"She stalled then ran away." Someone entering the room answered. I looked over to see it was Uncle Hades who had answered Hermes for me.

Luke a low whistle, "You always had a way of getting out of things Percy."

"I know." I grinned. "How do you I'm still alive?"

"Luck?" He answered.

"Stupided." Annabeth admitted.

"Pissing people off." Thalia offered up.

"Crazy plans." Nico chimed in.

"So by being epic." Hermes summed up as I glared at my _so called friends_.

"Sure lets go with that Hermes that sounds the best from what I've heard." I growled and turned to my food.

After a while with all of us somehow managing to sit in silence while we ate my father decided to disrupt it; so long sweet, sweet silence.

"Persephone," He started in a stern voice letting me know he wasn't very happy about my _practical joke_. "I want you to know that eating the fruit of the underworld is not something to joke about-,"

"Neither is my love life-which is none existent but still." I said cutting him off. "And remember you have to support my decisions." I laughed then walked out of the dining hall. I was done eating anyways.

I was tired. I hated reading about my life, it brought up bad memories that I have worked for years to forget. And it had only just begun.

**A/N: Ok you all and flame me now.**

**Hugs and Destruction!**

**Heros Legacy**


	12. Who's kronos?

**A/N: Ok So here is the next chapter. Sorry it took so long, life kept getting in the way. **

**So for a heads up there is a bunch of Fluff in this. Just because I wanted there to be, and so do a lot of the people who reviewed does to. Oh and Thanks for those who reviewed. Normally I don't do this but I'll answer a few quest reviews since I answered everyone else's.**

**Ok **_**ella:**_** I'm sorry I didn't update fast enough, this chapter would have been done Friday night if people would have left me alone.**

_**Ok and Anonymous and a question (there was a few actually but this was the main one) and a few people had asked me it so I will answer it here.**_

**QUESTION- What about Rachel? What will you do with her? **

**ANSWER-**__**Rachel will be part of the story, but she and Percy will be more like best friends of sorts. Annabeth will still be jealous of her because she thinks that Percy will stop hanging out with her if Rachel is her new friend. But Ultimately The part where Percy and her kiss and stuff will be changed. There will be a guy instead of Rachel since you know Percy is a girl. I know who that guy is (and it will not be Luke) and Nico will be very jealous of him. As for who it is you may find out In a upcoming chapter.**

**Disclaimer: If I haven't own this in the last few chapters what makes you think I own know? **

**Annabeth's P.O.V~**

After dinner Hermes, my friends, and I, went to go find Percy. She was walking alone around Olympus. After that he showed us to the guest house. And let me just tell you, it wasn't a house. It was a freaking four or five story French chateau. It was a long-ish building with cream white stone, smooth as it could be. There were two towers flanking each side. The window seals were all carved and so was the top of the house right before the gray roof. It was elegant and to put it simply-Gods damn freaking gorgeous! I was in love…and I not talking about my love for Luke here. **(A/N:So here is the picture link I was looking at to help me describe it ** . /tumblr_lq7iqvUyas1r1kliyo1_ **if you want to look that up go ahead)**

We headed inside and I want to die –not really though- the architecture inside was just as well done that on the outside, and the decor was perfect as well. There were paintings and tapestries and eve-,

"Is that a suit of armor?" Percy asked as she stood next to it looking like she was about to climb in and wear it around for a bit. Only she would do that.

"Corse it is." Hermes chuckled. "Be careful though, the last person to stay here said it moved." He was joking I'm sure.

"Now we know who to send to get Thaila to wake up tomorrow morning." Nico smirk, but it wasn't a bad idea…too bad the suite didn't move though. Oh well we will just send Percy like normal, and hope she still in a few pieces when she returns.

"Di Angelo." Thalia growled.

"Kidding, kidding" The son of death laughed.

"Anyways kids, the whole house is free game." Hermes began making his way to the door. "The kitchen is always stocked, there are a few dryads here as maids or whatnot to help. I'll leave you to find your rooms, pick anyone you want, Aphrodite picked out cloths for all of you, they'll be in the closet and dressers. Good night. Remember to be in the throne room by 8 o'clock tomorrow morning." And with that the messenger god was out the door, leaving us to our own devices.

**Percy's P.O.V~**

I was running up the steeps two at a time to get to the towers. Since I saw them I've had a theory that Cinderella or Rapunzel was kept in one of them…maybe they both were in one? Even if that didn't turn out to be the case I would love to be in a tower room…And it kind of got me away from my friends. After today revisiting some of those memories, I wasn't sure what they thought of me now for them.

When I got to the top of the tower I had picked I found a bedroom with a white wood four post canopy king size bed. There was long thick gold cloth tide up at each post that could be untied and drawn closed. The bedspread matched but had silver flowers embroidered onto it. There was a old fashion vanity mirror with all sorts of perfumes and makeup on it. I bet that's Aphrodite's hint that she wants me to wear goop all over my face. No thanks! I could see there were also a dresser and bed side table, and a chair by the window. Two other doors then the one I had enter threw were there as well, I assumed those were the closet and bathroom. The room's decor fit with the style of the house, and nothing modern seemed to be visible, well except the lights. But I figured there was a T.V in here somewhere since there was a remote on the bed side table.

I wouldn't say it out loud, but I've always wanted this kind of room. I blame all the fairy tales my mom read to me growing up.

**~X~**

That night was horrible. I was so comfortable in my new bed, (or it will be till we finish reading those dang books.) yet I was tossing and turning for hours locked in a horrible nightmare. It was the same one I've been having since the war ended. But this time it was different, worse.

_I was up against Kronos again, but this time he had fully taken over Luke and I was losing badly. Right as I was at my braking point I fell to my knees not having the strength to get up or to move any longer. Kronos stood over me and raised his scythe. _

But this is where is changed_. _

_Kronos changed. He turned to Annabeth, then Thalia, Luke, my Mom, Paul, Chiron, my Dad, each time he changed his scythe came closer to me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. "We never loved you Percy." Everyone chanted at once even though only one person was in front of me. "We just used you; we were never on your side. Friends and family is your greatest weakness. So pitiful." He changed one last time. This time it was Nico. I wanted to scream, and cry, and close my eyes but I couldn't do anything but watch as the scythe cut into my chest._

_I fell back, collapsing into the ground. Blood seeped thru my shirt and started to form a puddle on the ground around me. I gasped for air, but knew what would come eventually._

_Footsteps approached me and I saw Nico's sweet face contort into a face of pure evil. Pure delight. It was sickening and heart breaking. "Now you're where your meant to be." He said in a demonic voice I had never heard before. "Under my feet." He said and slammed his foot down on where he cut me. I groaned in pain as he put more presser on my wound and wiggled his foot around a bit._

_My eyes opened a crack just in time to see Nico turn into Gabe. "I told you bad things would happen if you ratted me out." He sneered. "Next is your mother, then that little boy of yours, Nico. But you won't be around to see what I do to them." He removed his foot from my chest and slammed it into my noise knocking my last breath from me._

I shot straight up fully awake. I was drenched in an icy sweat, some of my hair was plastered to my face, my heart was racing and I was gasping for breath.

"I-It's just a-a dream." I said out loud steel wheezing for air, but even then my voice sounded horse and strange to me.

"It's just a drea-," I began to repeat just as I felt something hot and sticky run down from my noise.

I ran to the bathroom and flicked on the lights. When I saw my face in the mirror, I saw that I had blood spewing out of my noise. That's when I got sick, because I knew_ it wasn't just a dream._ **(A/N: I almost ended it here…but I'm not that mean)**

After I was done puking my guts out, I hauled my butt into a warm shower.

**~X~**

**Nico's P.O.V~**

I laid awake in my bed for what seemed like forever. The house or mansion had been quiet for hours I was sure the others were all asleep. Maybe I was too busy thinking about Percy to sleep and how angry I still was that she pulled that stunt today to sleep, or maybe it was that nagging feeling I have that something is wrong.

There was a small distant sound that brought me out of my thoughts, '_what in the name of my father was that?'_ I taught. It was high pitched kinda like a squeal-ish scream just supper high, and annoying, so it wasn't any _human_, but I don't think it was a monster…consider were on Olympus and that would be suicide if a monster steeped foot on Olympus without permission….I wonder if there are suicidal monsters? Maybe the ones that goes after Percy? Oh great I'm thinking like her.

I turned over and looked at the bedside clock; it was 3:17 am. It seemed liked I wasn't going to bed for a while, so I slipped off the bed deciding to check that sound out.

The floor was cold on my bare feet as I walked almost silently down the hallway so I wouldn't wake anyone else up. I didn't get far out of my room before the sound stopped. But that doesn't mean I did. After a few turns and hoping I wasn't getting myself lost in this mammoth house, I saw a light on up ahead. So maybe someone else was awake…or Hermes was right about that suite of armor, or I was right about those suicidal monsters?

Since I was expecting one of those suicidal monsters I was more than relieved to see Percy sitting at the kitchen table a cup of tea in her hand. Her wet hair was down and she was off in her own world she didn't even notice me standing across from her. My feeling of something being wrong was right. She looked horrible. Well no she still looked gorgeous; she just looked nervous and maybe…scared? No, that's probably not right.

"Percy?" I said making my presents known.

I wasn't trying to surprise her; I didn't even think she would react anyway than looking up at me, but Percy did something so unlike Percy to do. When she heard me she jumped and knocked her mug of tea off the table. _CRASH!_ The cup broke into pieces and the hot tea was spilt across the floor.

"What are you doing up?" She asked me as she went to clean up the mess, her voice as small and a little horse.

I walked over to the sink and picked up a towel and walked over to Percy and whipped up the tea and moved Percy away from the glass. She did not need to be touching it when she was like this. "I could ask you the same." I said. "I'll clean this up." I said flatly as I noticed her trying to help.

"Its-," She began "I'm the one who startled you, sorry about that by the way." I interrupted her as I finished cleaning.

"So why are you up?" She asked me again.

"I heard a loud noise and came to check it out. But I was up before that."

"That was probably the teakettle." Percy said and eyed a red kettle on the stove. "Sorry I didn't think anyone else would be able to hear it."

"It's ok, tea sounds good right now." I smiled at her. I walked over to the kettle; the water was still fairly hot inside. "Where ar-," "Here" She said handing me two mugs. I made our tea and added honey to Percy's, like she liked it.

"Thank you." She said once we were both sitting at the table again. She still was acting weird though.

"So what's wrong." I said. It wasn't a question more like a statement. I looked at her with my serious face on, meaning I wasn't going to let it go till she told me. She knew it too. I mean what kind of bestfriend would I be if I couldn't tell when something was wrong?

Percy looked down and took a shaky breath –I hated when she does that, it always worries me more- and began to talk, "It's nothing really. Just a dream."

"A dream that has you very freaked out." I retorted.

"I'm not freaked out at all." She lies really badly when she more upset.

I put my hand on hers and looked her in the eyes. "You can tell me, I know that you're scared. I know you too well not to know that." I swear she just flinched at my words.

"It wasn't just a dream." She finally said after a long silence. "Everyone I love, they-," She stopped her she there for some reason.

She shook her head and slipper her and out of mine and began to walk away. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"What was so bad that you don't want to talk about it?" I asked following her down the hall. "It's a dream, and unless it's a demigod dream it isn't real."

"But it was real. At least part of it." Percy had stopped and looked like she was shaking. "In the dream I was given a bloody noise, and when I woke up I had one."

"That's a coincidence; you probably just hit your noise in your sleep." I said trying to rationales it. Percy turned on her feet and walked briskly towards me. When she was close she raised her hand and slapped me right across my face.

I was stunned. _'Did that really just happen?' _I thought as my hand reached up to cradle my throbbing check. Let me just tell you something, Percy slaps hard!

"_Do you_ have to be that _insensitive_ to me?" She asked crying and she burred her face into my chest. It was the secant time in less then twenty-four-hours that I've seen her cry. I felt horrible.

Instantly I wrapped my arms around her like I should have done from the beginning. "I'm sorry. _I'm so, so sorry." _I whispered to her as she cried. "I'm so sorry for being insensitive. Your right I was."

I felt Percy's knees give out and we slipped to the floor in the middle of the floor, in the middle of a mention, in the middle of the night. She was really shaken up.

We sat there, her on my lap; her face burred in my chest, crying, me muttering sweet calming words to her. I think I may have even said _"I love you."_ at one point but not that she reacted in anyway. We sat there for what seemed like hours. Soon her cries turned in to a few whimpers and her breathing lightened. She had fallen asleep crying.

It broke my heart seeing her like this.

With a sigh I picked her up carefully as not to wake her and carried her bridal stile. When I was stood up fully I stopped as she wiggled a little moving so she was closer almost. I smiled at how cute that was, and started to go find her room. He had fallowed her up earlier, sticking to the shadows so he wouldn't be seen, in case something would happen to her. He wanted to know where she was...if she needed him.

It didn't take long to get to her room. And when we did I promptly put her in her bed and covered her up. Before leaving I kissed her forehead and gave her one last long loving look, then started for the door.

I didn't get half way there before I heard her sit up in bed. "Don't go." She said. Her eyes were red and puffy. "I don't want to have that dream again. _Don't leave me."_ She sounded despite and scared. Like she was younger then sixteen. Yet years of hardship, lost, and stress shone in those green eyes of hers, and those green eyes of hers were stormy and dark. _"Please."_

I thought about it for a moment and nodded my head. "Ok, I'll stay for a little." I said. I was going to go pull one of the chairs that were by the window over to the bed so I could be closer to Percy, I didn't expect her to scoot over on the bed and lay back down. I hesitated. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to go lay down by her -I wasn't the type of guy to take advantage of her- or if she was just getting comfortable. But when she patted that spot she just vacated I knew she wanted me to lay next to her. I sighed and did what she wanted. I wasn't too sure it was a good idea but it was like we would do anything, and I would leave when she fell asleep.

After I got comfortable Percy snuggled into me and put her head on my chest. I loved it, I loved her. So i did the natural thing and put my arms around her.

"I love you too." She finally said. _'Did she just read my mind?'_ I asked myself before realising that she was referring to when I said that earlier. I was about to reply when I noticed she was alseep. But her words made me so happy to hear.

_'Just for a little bit.'_ I reminded myself as I felt myself get drowsy_. 'Just for a little bit longer, then I'll leave.'_

**A/N: Ok that was the chapter! What did you think? Will there be an angery mob at my door tomorrow? If so let me know so I can get tennis shoes on please! And ways Flame or review!**

**Love you all!**

**Hugs and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy**


	13. AN

**Hey guys I'm really sorry I haven't updated. My mom has made me start SAT tutoring and now that I mixed up the days of my test and missed it ^.^ ((I am very glad I didn't take that damn test!)) I can start writing again. I have no intentions of quitting on this story at all. And because I left at a dramatic part and lots of people want to know what happens after Nico and Percy fall asleep together, I will giv you guys a sneak peek of what Happens, just because I feel really bad.**

* * *

**Thalia's P.O.V~**

I couldn't believe that! I ran down stairs and to the kitchen.

"Percy! And Nico!" I said and Annabeth and Luke just looked at me with raise eyebrows.

"Yes? We did send you to get them." Luke said.

"But there in bed together!" I yelled. It came out a lot different then I meant it to.

"What?" Annabeth said and put down a bowl she was holding. "You mean…"

"No, no. Not that way." I said back tracking. "They were just asleep in Percy's room. Come on! And Luke bring your camera." I said leading them back the way I had just came.

"Fine, but am I going to be scared from this?" He asked as he looked back to make sure the stove was off.

"Not likely." I answered as I ran up the hundreds of stairs…well there is probably not that many I just feel like there was. When we got there a grin spread across my face. "Ready?" I said as I pushed opened the door.

On the bed was Percy and Nico all curled up in each other's arms fast asleep. "Awwww that's so cute!" Annabeth whispered next to me, even if I, who vowed to stay a maiden for the rest of my life, had to admit, those two made a cute couple.

"We should have Poseidon come find them like this." Luke smirked as he took a picture.

"Na we should just do this." I said as I slipped my phone out of my pocket and hit a recording I recorded yesterday. "THAT AROGENT LITTLE MORTAL!" Came Poseidon's booming voice from the phone speakers, "HOW DARE HE TREAT MY LITTLE GIRL THAT WAY!"

I watched happily as the two bolted upright with their arms still wrapped around each other. It was pretty comical if I say so, and I do say so.

* * *

**Ok so that's just a bit of what happens. Sorry and I will update the full chapter soon! Please don't kill me guys!**

**Hugs and destruction!**

**Heros Legacy**


	14. Luke the Pedo

**A/N: I'm Back! And I have the gift of the new chapter! Hope you guys like it! Sorry it took so long! I blame life!**

**Disclaimer: hecks no I still don't own!**

* * *

**Thalia's P.O.V~**

I walked into the kitchen to eat breakfast expecting to be the last one up and ready for the day. I was not a morning person. "Good morning." Luke called when he saw me.

I shot him a glare, "There is no such thing as a good morning." I growled. I looked around and notice two people were missing. Luke was here making food for everyone since he was good at it (I'm not sure how he is though) And Annabeth sitting on top of the counter watching her boyfriend, yet my cousins were nowhere in sight. "Hey where are Death Breath and Kelp Head?" I asked.

Annabeth turned and looked at me. It was hard to believe she took her eyes of Luke for once. That girl is just as in love as Percy…Except Annabeth had the guts to tell Luke unlike Percy telling Nico her feelings. "Not sure actually, neither of them have come down."

"Well they will miss breakfast if they don't come down." Luke chimed in.

"I'll go find them. Percy is probably in her room taking a long shower and who knows what Nico is doing." I said turning to go find them. I figured I would start with Percy she would be easier to find.

When I finally found Percy's room- which had to be like the furthest away from anyone, geez and I thought Nico was antisocial. I walked in without knocking. I didn't expect to see what I did, so I backed out of the room silently shutting the door behind me.

I couldn't believe that! I ran down stairs and to the kitchen.

"Percy! And Nico!" I said and Annabeth and Luke just looked at me with raise eyebrows.

"Yes? We did send you to get them." Luke said.

"But there in bed together!" I yelled. It came out a lot different then I meant it to.

"What?" Annabeth said and put down a bowl she was holding. "You mean…"

"No, no. Not that way." I said back tracking. "They were just asleep in Percy's room. Come on! And Luke bring your camera." I said leading them back the way I had just came.

"Fine, but am I going to be scared from this?" He asked as he looked back to make sure the stove was off.

"Not likely." I answered as I ran up the hundreds of stairs…well there is probably not that many I just feel like there was. When we got there a grin spread across my face. "Ready?" I said as I pushed opened the door.

On the bed was Percy and Nico all curled up in each other's arms fast asleep. "Awwww that's so cute!" Annabeth whispered next to me, even if I, who vowed to stay a maiden for the rest of my life, had to admit, those two made a cute couple.

"We should have Poseidon come find them like this." Luke smirked as he took a picture.

"Na we should just do this." I said as I slipped my phone out of my pocket and hit a recording I recorded yesterday. "THAT AROGENT LITTLE MORTAL!" Came Poseidon's booming voice from the phone speakers, "HOW DARE HE TREAT MY LITTLE GIRL THAT WAY!"

I watched happily as the two bolted upright with their arms still wrapped around each other. It was pretty comical if I say so, and I do say so.

**~Nico's P.O.V.~**

I knew I shouldn't have laid down! Shit, Lord Poseidon is going to kill me. I looked around trying to find him but only saw three soon to be dead friends of mine who were laughing their butts off.

"Huh?" Percy said still looking mostly asleep. "Nico you deal with this, I'm going back to bed." I said as she slipped out of my arms and back onto the pillow.

"Oh no." Thalia said standing up striate and walking over to the bed. "Nico your in so much trouble." She said yanking me out of Percy's bed and started to drag me out of them room. "Luke you go finish breakfast. Annabeth deal with sleeping beauty over there." And with that I was pulled to my doom.

~X~

I sat in the throne room with the Thalia, Luke, and the gods. Thalia had screamed at me for a half hour and I was not looking to the day.

"Where are Percy and Annabeth?" Poseidon asked and I barely succeeded in not blushing. Thalia gave me a look that meant she was seriously still considering telling Poseidon if I crossed her.

"Here!" Annabeth shouted running in, with Percy fallowing behind with an apple in her mouth. "Sorry someone didn't want to wake up." She said glaring at Percy.

"I'm up now so whose reading?" She asked picking up the book.

"I will." Ares grumbled.

With a smirk Percy chucked the book at Ares hitting him on the head. "Opps did I forget to tell you to catch?"

"Aries, just read, don't start anything." Hera said with a sigh.

"She started it though." Ares grumbled as he opened the book "**Chapter Seven, My dinner goes up in smoke."**

"Who gave the Pyro fire?" Thalia asked.

"I'm not a pyro!" Percy yelled.  
"You blew the St. Louis Arch." Annabeth reminded her.

"And a volcano." I added.

"And my ship." Luke said bitterly.

"I had good causes for all those." Percy pouted.

"Wait you blew up my forge?" Hephaestus asked.

"You sent me to check it out!" Percy yelled throwing her hands in the air.

**Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately.**

"Of cores it did." Hermes smirked. "My kids are trained to spread gossip faster than Aphrodite's." He said proudly.

"We work as fast as we can." Luke mused.

"I find it gossip news." Hermes went on.

"Dad even owns _People magazine_."

"if you're done bragging, let me continue." Ares interrupted the two.

**Wherever I went, campers pointed at me and murmured something**

"We're always pointing at you. You always do _something_ worth talking about." I smirked at her.

"Like _last night_ for an example." Thalia said grinning at us.

"What did she do?" Apollo asked as Posy's and mine faces seamed to agree to turn red.

"I slipped and fell on water that spilt on the floor." Percy hissed as she glared at Thalia telling her to shut up. Luckily the gods didn't relies she was lying to them as they started to laugh.

**about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was still pretty much dripping wet.  
She showed me a few more places: the metal shop (where kids were forging their own swords),**

"Witch your no longer allowed in may I remind you." Annabeth said looking at Percy**.**

"You drop a sword on a kid's foot one time and you're banned for life." Percy said with a shrug. "I blame the curse." We all gave her a strange look. Her logic was out the window again. She was so cute.

**the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man), and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.**

"I hate that thing." Thalia muttered quietly.

"At least you weren't pushed off the top by Clarisse." Percy said making a face.

"I knew I loved my daughter for a reason." Ares grinned.

Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.  
"I've got training to do," Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."  
"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."  
"Whatever."

"She mad." Luke laughed as he slipped his hand into his girl friend.

That made reminded me of Percy. What are we? I haven't actually asked her out yet, would she say yes? Did she really mean it when she said she loved me?**  
"It wasn't my fault."  
**The reading brought me out of my head and into reality. "It's always your fault." I teased her.**  
She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it was my fault. I'd made water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. I didn't understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. I had become one with the plumbing.  
**"That isn't something to be proud of." Athena said wrinkling her noise.

"But oh so help full." Percy laughed.**  
"You need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth said.  
**"My red headed nightmare….I think I could talk to her." Percy laughed again.

"My oracle doesn't have red hair." Apollo said confusedly.

"Oh never mind, I rather not talk to the crazy mummy." Percy shivered and seamed to inch closer to me. Maybe she would say yes.**  
"Who?"  
"Not who. What. **

"I know someone who would kill you if you called her a what." I grinned.

**The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron." I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.  
**"No one knows how to do that." Artemis said. "Not in this family anyways."**  
I wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at me from the bottom, so my heart skipped a beat when I noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about twenty feet below. They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved as if I were a long-lost friend.  
**"You are there long-lost friend." Poseidon smiled at Percy. And I hoped that, that smile didn't leave his face, and that he didn't find out about us.**  
I didn't know what else to do.**

"I generally don't." Percy grinned. "That's what makes my life, oh so fun."

**I waved back.  
"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible tricky."**

"Only to those they don't like." Poseidon said mater-of-factly, as if that should explains why they hate Annabeth…which they often do.

"Naiads," I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. "That's it. I want to go home now."

Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"Percy I don't think your meant to admit you are mentally disturbed." Luck said, which made Percy laugh.

"Oh I don't think you caught that I was referring to you and all the demigods at camp." She told him  
**  
"I mean not human. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."**

"Half-human and half-what?"

"Barbarian" Dionysus supplied in a bored tone. You know I was starting to think that his bored tone is a charade and he was a lot more interested then he lead on to be.

"I am not!" Percy objected, a brief flash of anger spread a crossed her face. "And by the way, you just called my dad a barbarian." She grinned.

"Diony-" Poseidon started to say how ever was cut off by Dionysus apologizing.

"I think you know."

"No I didn't know I was half Barbarian." Percy grinned. Her smile was wide and happy, I hoped she let go of all her troubles from last night.

I didn't want to admit it, but I was afraid I did.

"But you just admitted it to us." Hermes told her.

"Yeah, but it's ok I can set up a therapy session for you." Apollo told her. The way Apollo looked at my Percy was horrible! Like he was trying to figure out the best way to ask her out. Oh no that would _not _happen.

"I think my daughter will be _just fine_ Apollo." Poseidon said gruffly, and I was inwardly cheering him on.

**I felt a tingling in my limbs, a sensation I sometimes felt when my mom talked about my dad.**

"God," I said. "Half-god."

Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."

"That's ... crazy."

"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?"

"That's a very dumb thing mortal's believe." Athena remarked.

"Agreed it is very hard for people to change their ways. Especially in this family." Artemis said, and honestly I felt like that was a loaded statement. One that I would not touch with the longest poll on earth.**  
"But those are just—" I almost said myths again. Then I remembered Chiron's warning that in two thousand years, I might be considered a myth.**

I didn't want to be the one to tell Percy that she was already a myth since these books were already created, but the look on her face told me she already knew.

**"But if all the kids here are half-gods—"  
"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods." **

**"Then who's your dad?"  
**"Percy that was a really bad question." Thalia laughed. "Good job asking it! I hope you get punch!"

"Oh thanks that's so nice of you to say." Percy growled**  
Her hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I'd just trespassed on a sensitive subject.  
**"No shit" I told her shaking my head to her conclusion.**  
"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."  
"He's human."  
**"Oh no his just the god of-" Athena started but was drown out as Ares read louder.**  
"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"  
"Who's your mom, then?"**

"Cabin six."

"You expected her to know?" I asked Annabeth, who pursued her lips and shook her head.

"No just wanted to make her feel more dumb then she was." She said.

"Ya well it worked." Percy glared, not looking happy at all.**  
"Meaning?"  
Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."  
Okay, I thought. Why not? "And my dad?"  
**"Poseidon." Her dad said grinning forgetting a certain important fact.**  
"Undetermined," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."  
**Poseidon's face fell when he found that out. He looked sad like he wish he should have claimed her right on the spot. If only every god would do that.**  
"Except my mother. She knew."  
**"Yes she did Percy." Poseidon nodded to her. His eyes were distant as if remembering an old time he shared with Mrs. Jackson.**  
"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."  
**"Mine did." Percy said smugly.

"So did mine." Thalia said trying not to be out done or whatever.

"And mine, but he also offered for my mother to come live with him." I grinned knowing that my dad was very kind to my mother and I think he may still love her.

I looked at my dad and he gave me a half-smile before saying. "Of course I did."

"So all the big three gods tells there mortal loves or whatever you call them, who they are?" Luke said with a strange look on his face.

"It depends." Said my dad and my Uncles at the same time, with no one commented on, but I feel like we all wanted to.

**Percy's P.O.V~**

I have to admit, that even those three fight a lot, they act a lot alike. I hoped they didn't get those traits from Kronos.**  
"My dad would have. He loved her."**

I remembered how I was nerves about that statement. I wanted to know it was true, but at the time I just wasn't sure.**  
Annabeth gave me a cautious look. She didn't want to burst my bubble. "Maybe you're right.  
**"Thanks for that by the way." I told Annabeth, I think if she would have told me something else, I think I would have snapped.

"Well the look on your face Seaweed Brain, told me you would have broke down crying if I told you that you were wrong." Annabeth told me, and I threw a pillow at her for it.

"I would not!" I yelled as I threw it.

"But Percy was right," My dad said looking not very happy at what Annabeth had said. "I did love her mother very much." I smiled and felt very pleased at what he said. But it wasn't anything I didn't already know.**  
Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his daughter.**

"Nico's dad didn't do that though." I pointed out.

"That's because it was so painfully obvious who his dad was, that there was no need for him to be claimed." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

"For Zeus' sake, he opened a rip the earth creating a rift that fell all the way to tartars!" Thalia yelled. "How can you be more obvious than that?"

"I could have summoned a skeleton warrior of capture the flag." Nico pointed out.

"Which is how you win every game." Luke grumbled.

"Not to mention that you and Percy are always on the same side." Annabeth added.

"So?" Nico and I asked.

**Sometimes it happens."  
"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"  
**The gods didn't look happy about that. Maybe they felt bad for what they did?**  
Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always ... Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us." I thought about some of the kids I'd seen in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come. I'd known kids like that at Yancy Academy, shuffled off to boarding school by rich parents who didn't have the time to deal with them. But gods should behave better.  
"So I'm stuck here," I said. "That's it? For the rest of my life?"  
**"You know you would love that." Nico whispered to me. I know what he said was true. I love camp. Yet I felt odd being close to him, so I slid over a bit putting some distance. Right now Nico made me nerves. We haven't talked about what happened last night…or technically this morning, and I'm not sure where we stood. I told him I loved him, and that could have been a mistake. We have been friends for a long time. What if I just messed up our friendship by telling him that? Man I was so screwed.**  
"It depends," Annabeth said. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."  
**"I wonder how my life would be like if I didn't make it to camp." I said trying to take my mind off Nico and how he looked hurt when I moved away.

"You would be in a mental hospital, or a terrorist." Thalia answered.

"That's so nice Thals." I said rolling my eyes knowing she may have been right.**  
"So monsters can't get in here?"  
Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."  
"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"  
**"There are plenty of reasons for them." I said along with Luke.**  
"Practice fights. Practical jokes."  
"Practical jokes?"  
**"Something you happen to be very familiar with." Annabeth answered.

"As I see it, if they don't realize that if they piss something's going to happen." I replayed.

"Or you're just trying to cause problems." Thalia added.

"We always need a good prank war ev-," I was cut off by Zeus

"As interesting as that is, lets continue."**  
"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals**

"Except Zeus damned mortals that steal my horse." I growled while my friends snickered and shook their heads, and the gods just looked on confusedly.

"And a lost pizza guy." Luke chipped in. I glared at him. It was _so_ not the time to make those jokes.

"Why can mortals get in now?" Aphrodite asked.

"Not sure how the pizza guy got in, but the other that Posy referred to was invited by Chiron." Nico said making me split my glare between the two boys.

"That girl is a horse thief and can rot in Tarterus."

"You're not going to get over that any time soon will you?" Annabeth asked.

"Hades no! No one messes with Blackjack!" I said defensively.

"Considering it was-what? Two days ago that happened-," Thalia started. "I give her two weeks till she lets it go."

"What horse?" My father asked before I could tell Thalia that would never happen.

"My Pegasus." I informed him

"And she loves that thing more than Nico, if you can believe it." Luke chuckled making my cheeks go a bit red.

"That is not true!" I shouted, then realized my mistake. Man I so did _not_ mean to say that, now everyone is looking at me funny..._fan-freakin-tasic._

"Oh so you admit you love Nico then?" Thalia and Aphrodite asked together, I didn't know that those two could be on the same page about anything….and it was just plain scary that they are.

"Nope." I said simply covering my tracks. "Just meant that I don't love Blackjack more than everyone else, which I believe Luke was really meaning. I just love Blackjack more than most people witch mainly are idiots and the Ares cabin, of and anyone who messes with my horse."

"Bull." Hera said, which surprised me. She was quite and I didn't peg her to use that word.

Nico cleared his throat getting everyone's attention, "Can we just read?" He asked sharply.

**and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."  
"So ... you're a year-rounder?"  
**"No she a clown." I corrected earning a pillow in the head curtsey of a curtain blond, and a few chuckles.**  
Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colors. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.  
"I've been here since I was seven," she said. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counselors, and they're all in college." "Why did you come so young?"  
**"Because camp is wicked fun and I'm just awesome enough to have gotten to go early." Annabeth answered smugly.

"Do you relies that smugly has the word ugly in it?" I asked with a grin. "So that means when you act smugly about something, that your just being ugly. But don't worry, ugly suites you."

With a howl of rage she leapt at me, but Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back onto his lap. "Aww I think your guard dog knows not to let you mess with me."

"Oh shut up Percy, unless you want me to really come after you." Annabeth growled.

"Bring it."

"Ok that's enough you two." Athena said braking up out fight and signaled for Ares to keep reading.**  
She twisted the ring on her necklace. "None of your business."  
"Oh." I stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence. "So ... I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"  
**"Like I would let you do that." Mr. D said laughing.

"You have actually." I informed him. "And Nico sneaks out of camp more than anyone." Mr. D grumbled something about tightening up security, which I don't think would really help, but the god of insanity can believe that all he wants, I rather not tell him and keep on breathing.**  
"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless ..."  
**"Unless you lock them in the basement in gold handcuffs and mess with them till they give you permission?" Luke supplied.

The gods just looked at him oddly till Hermes finally asked. "Did you do that?" He looked at his son as if he should have him committed.

"With Percy's help." Great he had to tell him that, didn't he? Now we both will get committed to the psyche word.**  
"Unless?"  
"You were granted a quest. **

"But that's the easy way." Thalia laughed.

"And easy is just not fun." I agreed.

"Percy you only had permission to go on about half the quest you go on. As I recalled you sunk out of camp to go on at least two major quest."

"As I said easy isn't fun."

"Easy, is also safe dear." My dad reminded me.

**But that hardly ever happens. The last time ..."  
**Lukes face darkened at the thought of his first quest, and Annabeth smiled at him and kissed his cheek muttering something to him**  
Her voice trailed off. I could tell from her tone that the last time hadn't gone well.  
"Back in the sick room," I said, "when you were feeding me that stuff—"  
"Ambrosia."  
"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."  
Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "So you do know something?"  
**"Dumb question Annabeth." Thalia said.**  
"Well... no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"  
She clenched her fists. "I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so normal."  
**"OH SHOOT!" I yelled realizing we didn't keep a good eye on the younger Luke while he was here every well.  
"Is the world ending?" Nico asked. "If not I'm not sure we want to hear it."

"No I left a candle burning in my cabin when I left." I retorted rolling my eyes. "But we forgot to do something so, ya we could have just made the world end."  
"Oh." Thalia said getting it. "Oops."

"What's happening?" Zeus asked in alarm.

"Nothing, just talking about a video game about…Zombies and uh…destroying the world." Thalia covered poorly.

"We were?" Nico asked confusedly not comprehending this at all. Poor guy, he needs to learn to keep up.

"Well Thalia and I obviously were." I said shaking my head.

"Am I the only one confused?" He asked.

"No." Everyone besides Thalia and I answered.**  
"You've been to Olympus?"  
"Some of us year-rounders—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."  
"But... how did you get there?"  
"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor." She looked at me like she was sure I must know this already. "You are a New Yorker, right?" "Oh, sure." As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building, but I decided not to point that out.  
**"If there are six hundred floors, what's on the other four hundred and ninety-eight floors that lie between the one hundredth and second floor and the six hundredth floor?" I asked.

_**((AN:If anyone knows this or has any ideas, let me know cause I want to know that answer.))**_

The gods just looked at each other, not knowing what to say before Hades answered "Classified." Witch didn't answer my question.**  
"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen.**

"Hermes whatever you took just give it back." Zeus sighed.

"Fine." Hermes said and fished into his pockets bring out and Ipod, lipstick, a kitchen knife and butterfly, and returned them to their right full owners. Surprisingly Ares had the lipstick, which he tucked into his pocket with a blush.

**And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping ... I mean— Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together.**

"As long as we figure out how, sure!" I joked

**I thought you might know something."  
I shook my head. I wished I could help her, but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.  
**"That's a first." Nico laughed.

"Ya and that coming from the guy who wouldn't shut up when I first meet him." I huffed. "As I recalled you even asked how much HP I had, as well as if I was dating Grover."

"Touché."**  
"I've got to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself. "I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem ..."  
I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Annabeth must've heard my stomach growl. She told me to go on, she'd catch me later. I left her on the pier, tracing her finger across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.  
Back at cabin eleven, everybody was talking and horsing around, waiting for dinner. For the first time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers.  
**"And they don't peg you as one?" Hermes asked.

"They do till I open my mouth." I said.

"And then it goes downhill from there right." Apollo assumed.  
"Naturally." Luke snorted.**  
Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and plopped down with my minotaur horn. The counselor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred by that scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact.  
**"Percy you are not allowed to date a son of Hermes." My father told me sternly. So I assume that a son of Hades was ok then?

I nodded and decided not to tell him about how I dated Conner for a few weeks a year or so ago.**  
"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."  
I couldn't tell if he was kidding about the stealing part.  
I said, "Thanks."  
"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushed his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"  
"I don't belong here," I said. "I don't even believe in gods." "Yeah," he said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get any easier."  
**"Your almost as bad at pep talks as Chiron, Luke." I said groaning. Nico shot me a small smile and that made me feel better.**  
The bitterness in his voice surprised me, because Luke seemed like a pretty easygoing guy.  
He looked like he could handle just about anything.  
**And that was a good thing about Luke. He could handle anything.**  
"So your dad is Hermes?" I asked. He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second I thought he was going to gut me,**

"What the Fates!?" Luke shouted in surprise. "You really thought I would hurt you?"

"I didn't know, I wasn't accustomed to teenagers having weapons, so ya I was scared." I admitted.

"I would have giving the boy a painful death if he touched you." My dad said glaring at Luke making him flinch.

I looked down at the palm of my hand where the pit scorpion stung me so many years ago. The scar was still there, a bit fainter then it was, but still clear as day. I was kinda glad when Nico saw me doing this and reached over and took my hand in his, tarring me away from one of the worst betrayals I have ever faced.

**but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal. "Yeah. Hermes."  
"The wing-footed messenger guy."  
"That's him. Messengers. Medicine. Travelers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That's why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."  
I figured Luke didn't mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind.  
"You ever meet your dad?" I asked.**

"Bad move Perc." Thalia said.

"Oops-a-daisy."**  
"Once."  
I waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell me, he'd tell me. Apparently, he didn't. I wondered if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar.  
Luke looked up and managed a smile. "Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're mostly **

"You shouldn't say 'mostly' to a new camper." I told him. "That made me nervous."

**good people. After all, we're extended family, right? We take care of each other."  
He seemed to understand how lost I felt, and I was grateful for that, because an older guy like him—even if he was a counselor—should've steered clear of an uncool middle-schooler like me.  
**"But you were a cute girl, so I decided to ignore that." Luke teased.

"Pedo." I shouted and jumped and hid behind the couch refusing to come out from behind.**  
But Luke had welcomed me into the cabin. He'd even stolen me some toiletries, which was the nicest thing anybody had done for me all day.  
**"And that's when you know something is wrong, when that was the nicest thing of the day." Thalia snorted.

"Maybe I should set up a big group counseling on how to be nice, for the Olympians as well as campers." Aphrodite said.

"Are you still going on about that?" Hades asked**  
I decided to ask him my last big question, the one that had been bothering me all afternoon.  
"Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being 'Big Three' material. Then Annabeth ... twice, she said I might be 'the one.' She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?"  
Luke folded his knife. "I hate prophecies."  
**"Only Rachel and Apollo actually like them." Annabeth pointed out.**  
"What do you mean?"  
His face twitched around the scar. "Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn't allowed any more quests. Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until... somebody special came to the camp." "Somebody special?"  
**"Well they really put the weight of the world on your shoulders kid didn't they." Hephaestus gave a loud booming laugh.

I tugged the single gray strand of hair, that had came lose from my ponytail and popped up from behind the couch. "No Artemis gave me that burden." After I said that I ducked back down, leaving behind confused faces.**  
"Don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for. Now, come on, it's dinnertime."  
The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, even though I'd never heard one before.  
Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"  
The whole cabin, about twenty of us, filed into the commons yard. We lined up in order of seniority, so of course I was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the three empty cabins at the end, and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was now starting to glow silver as the sun went down.  
We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined us from the meadow. Naiads emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods— and when I say out of the woods, I mean straight out of the woods. I saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.  
In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood nymphs and naiads.  
**"Wow big population back that." Nico said absently.**  
At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded. I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.  
I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.  
Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her gray eyes and honey-blond hair.  
Clarisse sat behind me at Ares's table. She'd apparently gotten over being hosed down, because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.  
Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!" Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"**

Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and yes, barbecue! My glass was empty, but Luke said, "Speak to it. Whatever you want-nonalcoholic, of course."

"Did you guys have an issue with that or something?" I asked Mr. D.

"My children and handle there liquor, but some other kids…not so much." He answered.**  
I said, "Cherry Coke."  
The glass filled with sparkling caramel liquid.  
Then I had an idea. "Blue Cherry Coke."  
**"Percy did you honestly expect that to work?" Annabeth asked me.**  
The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt.  
**"It does." I smiled.

"So that's what it was. I thought you were drinking grape juice." Luke said. "I thought you might have been Mr. D's kid." That made me and Dionysus laugh at that thought.**  
I took a cautious sip. Perfect. I drank a toast to my mother.  
She's not gone, I told myself. Not permanently, anyway. She's in the Underworld. And if that's a real place, then someday...  
"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.  
I loaded my plate and was about to take a big bite when I noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates toward the fire in the center of the pavilion. I wondered if they were going for dessert or something.  
"Come on," Luke told me.  
As I got closer, I saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the fire, the ripest strawberry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.  
Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."  
"You're kidding."  
**"We don't kid with that stuff." Apollo said. "And it smells awesome. By the way."**  
His look warned me not to take this lightly, but I couldn't help wondering why an immortal, all-powerful being would like the smell of burning food.  
Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."  
I was next. I wished I knew what god's name to say.  
Finally, I made a silent plea. Whoever you are, tell me. Please.  
**"That's common for new comers." Luke laughed.**  
I scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames.  
When I caught a whiff of the smoke, I didn't gag.  
It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh-baked brownies, hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have gone well together, but did. I could almost believe the gods could live off that smoke.  
When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.  
Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."  
A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.  
"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Patty Johnson."  
Chiron murmured something.  
"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."**

"Dionysus we need to talk about your attitude." Zeus said not looking very happy.

"Oh yes, I will also be talking to you about that." Aphrodite gave a small sweet laugh. It was sickening.**  
Everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along. We sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around, and the funny thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.  
Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag. My fingers curled around the Minotaur's horn. I thought about my mom, but I had good thoughts: her smile, the bedtime stories she would read me when I was a kid, the way she would tell me not to let the bedbugs bite. When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.  
That was my first day at Camp Half-Blood.  
I wish I'd known how briefly I would get to enjoy my new home.**

"Could you end it in a more depressing way?" Artemis asked.

"Someone could have died." I pointed out. "Or you favorite bow could have broke."

"Yes that last one is depressing." She agreed.

I hopped back out the couch and Nico turned to me. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

"Sorry kids, no time for a brake now, We should read a nether chapter." Athena said as she took up the book to start reading.

Dang it.

* * *

**A/N: Ok guys what did you think? **

**Hugs and Destruction,**

**Heros Legacy**


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